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A Devotional Journey through Judges 2013 by Laura Krokos www.TheBookofJudges.com

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Introduction6 Chapter Five Chapter One {Verses 1-3} Delighting in God as the Know-er of All Things...8 {Verses 4-7} Reliance.10 {Verses 9-11} Bigger Picture.12 {Verses 17-19} Prepare for Battle.14 {Verses 21-2:6} No More.16 Chapter Two {Verses 7-11} Revealer19 {Verses 11-12} The Lords Anger..21 {Verses 14-15} Love Conquers All23 {Verses 16-19} The Great Rescue.25 {Verses 22-3:6} The Big Test...27 Chapter Three {Verses 7-11} Willing and Available29 {Verses 12-14} Facing the Enemy.31 {Verses 15-30} Freedom for Captives34 {Verse 31} Comparison...37 Chapter Four {Verses 2-3} Bridled Strength.39 {Verses 8-13} Nuggets.41 {Verses 17-5:31} Wheres the Trust?.....43 Chapter Eight {Verses 1-3} Sitting the Bench...67 {Verses 4-12} Unstoppable......68 {Verses 22-27} Watchful after Victory..70 {Verses 28-35} Drop in the Bucket..73 {Verses 2-31} Offering..44 Chapter Six {Verse 2} Out of Darkness..47 {Verses 7-8} God Responds...48 {Verses 11-12} Redemptive Eyes..49 {Verse 13} Questioning Goodness....50 {Verse 14} What Strength?.........................52 {Verses 15-16} Just Not Enough....53 {Verse 17} Is It Really You.54 {Verses 18-22} Grace upon Grace.....55 {Verses 25-31} Courageous Defender.56 {Verses 33-40} Courage Giver.58 Chapter Seven {Verses 1-8} Mad Lib.....60 {Verses 9-15} Stepping Out...62 {Verses 16-25} Mighty One...64 {Isa. 9:2-7} Light of the World.....66

Chapter Nine {Verses 1-6} Crowned King..75 {Verse 7} Looking to the Perfect One.....77 {Verses 16-20} Let Us See.....78 {Verses 22-23} Pursuing Grace..80 {Verse 24} God Did This......81 {Verses 26-33} Gossip vs. Honor83 {Verses 33-57} In the Face of Horror..85 Chapter Ten {Verses 1-5} Life Is Short88 {Verses 6-8} Delighting in Gods Anger..89 {Verses 9-18} The Beauty of Repentance..90 Chapter Eleven {Verses 1-3} Dealt a Hard Blow.92 {Verses 6-8} Serving When It Hurts...94 {Verses 12-28} Communication...96 {Verses 28-40} Through Their Eyes..98 Chapter Twelve {Verse 1} Whatever You Feed Grows100 {Verses 1-3} Say It Like It Is102 {Verses 4-7} Inexhaustible Grace104 {Verses 8-15} Workmanship.105 Chapter Thirteen {Verses 1-3} He Understands107 {Verses 4-5} Training Kids in Their Calling109 {Verses 6-8} Conversation in Heaven..111 {Verse 9} Dont Give Up Praying.112

{Verse 10} There She Goes.....113 {Verses 11-14} Jesus Honors Mama.....114 {Verses 12-14} Heart Changer.....115 {Verses 17-18} Eternal......116 {Verses 19-25} Star Breather....118 Chapter Fourteen {Verses 1-4} With Us or in Spite of Us..120 {Verses 5-7} Driven to Pray122 {Verses 8-9} Choosing Love124 {Verses 10-11} Exuberant Joy...126 {Verses 12-14} Foreshadow...128 {Verses 15-18} Danger of Assumption.130 {Verses 19-20} Given Courage..132 Chapter Fifteen {Verses 1-2} Coming for His Bride.133 {Verses 3-9} Lord of Hosts..134 {Verses 9-13} Uncage the Bird.136 {Verses 14-16} Strength through Bone...138 {Verses 16-20} Grace Truly Grace..140 Chapter Sixteen {Verses 1-3} Responding to Injustice..142 {Verses 4-10} Feeling Like Delilah145 {Verses 10-17} Too Confident.147
{Verses 18-22} The Moment of Oh-No!.149

{Verses 23-30} Given Strength151

Chapter Seventeen {Verses 1-6} Bad Mom153 {Verses 7-13} Living in Grace155 Chapter Eighteen {Verse 1} Hes the Source157 {Verse 2} Finding Your Fit..159 {Verses 3-6} Receiving Counsel..161 {Verses 7-10} The Easy Button...163 {Verses 14, 17-20} Eternal Strategic Living..165 {Verses 22-26} Hope in the Lord.167 {Verses 27-28} Where Is Your Sting?.169 {Verses 29-31}} Leaving a Legacy170 Chapter Nineteen {Verses 1-3} Adultery, Grace & Braveheart.172 {Verses 4-10} Hospitality at Its Finest.174 {Verses 11-15} Expecting Perfection?.176 {Verses 16-30} The Dreaded Last Half...178

Chapter Twenty {Verses 1-2} Team Up.180 {Verses 3-11} Speak Up.181 {Verses 13-14} Going to Bat for Each Other...183 {Verses 18-26} Embarrassment for the Glory of God185 {Verses 27-30} The Beautiful Perseverance.187 {Verses 31-48} Facing Injustice...188 Chapter Twenty-One {Verses 1-9} Regret.189 {Verses 10-14} Learning from Mistakes..191 {Verses 15-23} Restoring Community.193 {Verses 24-25} I Know You!.....................195 About the Author196

Did you know that Judges could be one of the most shocking books in the Bible? If Judges were a magazine, here are some possible story titles: Family Fight Ends with 69 Dead Government Leader Caught in Love Scandal Girls Die from Gang Rape Girls at Party Kidnapped and Forced to Marry Kidnappers Not only is it shocking, it's also full of people with struggles and insecurities just like you and me that we can relate to and principles that relate to us today. And my favorite thing about Judges is how God shows His heart and character! My challenge for you is to read until a verse jumps out at you and then answer these questions in a personal journal. 1. What about the verse strikes you? Why? 2. Ask God why He brought this to your mind. Write down your thoughts. 3. If you were in this scene, how would you respond? What would you be thinking or feeling? 4. What principle can be derived? 5. How does that principle relate to your everyday life? 6. How can you respond to what God has shown you with action-oriented faith? Most importantly, don't forget to start by submitting yourself to Christ, asking Him to lead your thinking and show you what He wants. If you haven't watched the Spirit-filled Life video I made, I highly recommend it (since it applies directly to spending time with the Lord). Groups Studying Judges Last year, I led a group of ladies through Judges. It was a different kind of study than I have ever done before. I guess the best way to describe it is that we actually studied it right then, together, and then shared our insights. We spent about half of the study silently studying a verse that stood out to us. It was really incredible because at the end, when each lady
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shared what God had shown her and how it applied to her life, it always seemed like there was a related theme. It was such a joy to see God sharing His heart and getting to hear them talk about it. It was also pretty great because a lot of ladies got so much out of it that they started using the worksheet for their daily quiet times as a way to read the historical books in the Old Testament.

Judges 1:1-3 Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you. So Simeon went with him. (Judges 1:1-3) The boundary lines had already been drawn up for each of the tribes to take the land. They just hadn't done it yet. So I love that even though their leader had died, they didn't give up on the mission. And more importantly, they didn't give up on turning to the Lord. I find it interesting that they asked who should go up and fight. Because before this time, they all had worked together under one leader. Having worked together to fight, it's interesting that they assumed only one of the tribes should go. God had appointed Moses. Just one guy. And then God told Moses to appoint Joshua. Again, just one guy. But the Lord never told Joshua to appoint a successor. And what a gift because it allows us to see that God also uses ordinary people who arent appointed to be the head honcho. So the Lord sends the tribe of Judah, and they ask the Simeonites to go with them. This brings a lot of questions to mind: Would you be willing to be the tribe not chosen for this great task? How would you react? Would you complain, criticize, or be jealous? Or take the route of self-pity? If in the tribe of Simeon, would you be willing to be an accompanist and take joy in helping the chosen tribe? Would you root whole-heartedly from the sidelines, knowing you still had a part to play? The Lord is the One who knows who is best fit for each task. When I am not chosen or picked, Lord, remind me that You had a hand in it. That You have not overlooked or disregarded me; it's just that You have different plans. Lord, how does this relate to my daily life?

Have you been overlooked recently? Not appreciated or disregarded? Has someone else received the thing you were hoping for or was asked to do something you were hoping to be asked to do? I've been there. Just know the Lord has not overlooked you. He has not disregarded you. He knows exactly what He is doing. So often we have to remind ourselves what's true: If the Lord is for me, who can be against me? God radically loves you, and He is for you! It helps to be proactive and give thanks in all things because it changes our attitudes. But having an attitude of thankfulness (such as thanking God for the other person getting _____) is only something that comes by the strength, perspective, and ability of His Spirit. The fruit of the Spiritlove (which is unselfishly choosing for anothers highest good), joy, peace, patienceare not something we can conjure up. They are born in our hearts as we remain connected to the Lord as a branch does to a vine. As we submit and yield to Him, we give Him freedom to allow His heart and perspective to be lived through us. Lord, we are desperately dependent on You. We want to have a heart that pleases You and not be selfish, but apart from You, we can do nothing. Please produce in us a heart that is able to be grateful for not being chosen right now. A heart that is willing to do whatever You ask. A heart surrendered to You and willing to be aligned to Yours. Lord, You are pretty incredible, knowing everything and being patient even when we get tired of being overlooked. Your knowledge and patience are so comforting, Lord. Thank You for opening our eyes and showing us that about You!

Judges 1:4-7 And Judah went up, and the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands; and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek. And they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. (Judges 1:4-7) Have you noticed how the Lord waits for us to step out and trust Him? Its just like the invisible bridge in Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. The bridge only appears after Indiana takes that step of faith. The same is true of a chair; we don't experience the chairs ability to hold us until we surrender our full weight to it. The same is also true of my sweet little girl Eden who is learning to walk. Until she leaves the safety of Daddy and takes those wobbly steps toward me, she wont fall into my arms and experience my joy and protection of her. How much intimacy with God is being forfeited by remaining in our comfortable and safe spots? Its just like a grown adult who never learned to walk and always reaches for someone to carry him. Not a pretty picture. Its the same with our faith if it remains a mustard seed that is never planted, never surrendered to the ground to bear fruit. What has God called you to do, yet you have not taken the first step? What is keeping you from the first step? What does that show you that you are believing about God? What's true? Just as there are horses that tend to rush ahead without command and mules that have a tendency to be stubborn and unwilling to budge, we are sometimes too scared to take the first step. But at other times, we know what God wants us to do, and we rush ahead to get it done by our own strength. I wonder if you desire to rely on a process or strategy like I do. For me, I love thinking about ministry strategy. I would absolutely love to have an A-B-C step-by-step process that if consistently implemented, voila, you'd always achieve radical campus ministry and life

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transformation with everybody knowing and walking with Jesus. The reason I long for that is for the security of expectation. To always know what to expect and have control over it. But really, it is an ugly, independent attitude. It's a desire to do something apart from the Lord, which is impossible. God wants us to surrender control to Him, and though we wont always know what to expect, we can rely on the constancy of His character. We can rely on His faithfulness, which is our shield (Psalm 91:4). Have you noticed that He likes to do things differently all the time, keeping us trusting Him, not in a formula or strategy? He didn't give formulas in Scripture. Like how to heal the blind. He used spit in Mark 8, spit and mud in John 9, and just spoke in Matthew 9. It seems that I'm not the only one who likes to rely on resources other than the Lord to get things accomplished. The tribe of Judah had this problem too. They moved forward in what the Lord told them to do, but they didn't turn to the Lord and rely on Him for guidance regarding their captives. Instead, they replicated the culture of the Canaanites by cutting off the thumbs and big toes. Perhaps it's not relying on a strategy or process that tempts you. Perhaps it's relying on what our culture (even Christian culture) says about how to do what God has called you to do. Perhaps it's relying on your experience, expertise, gifting, or any other slew of resources. All gifts of God are for the mission, but they are not meant to serve in place of the Creator of the mission. In Galatians, Paul says, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" What are you doing (even a good thing that God called you to do) by your own strength? How do you know if you are relying on the Holy Spirit to work through you or working by your own power? What would it practically look like to rely on the strength and ability of the Holy Spirit? Have you ever seen the 3 Circles Diagram? It's a helpful tool in explaining how to live by the strength of the Holy Spirit. Here it is. Take a few minutes to do a throne check. See who you are relying on, and spend some time surrendering yourself to Him.

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Judges 1:9-11 After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). (Judges 1:9-11) Remember when Moses sent out the spies? God had called one person from each of the twelve tribes to go and spy out the land to see what it was like. Caleb, from the tribe of Judah was called. Caleb went and saw through eyes of faith. While everyone else saw giants, he saw opportunity for God to show off. While everyone started complaining (which was as contagious then as it is today), Caleb spoke up and silenced the doubters. "But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." Numbers 13:31-14:4 As the fear mounted and discouragement grew through false reports of the land being not that great anyway, Caleb spoke up again and called the people to trust God. "Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14:612

Caleb called them to obedience when it wasnt popular. Wouldnt it be great if everyone had dropped to their knees in repentance? Instead, they tried to figure out how they could stone Caleb. But guess what! God showed up to protect faithful Caleb. "But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites." Numbers 14:10 When we step out and act according to what is right, according to what God said, He will come through for us. And God thinks that's a big deal. Check this out: "But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it" (Numbers 14:24). God bragged about Caleb. Wow! Want to be someone God honors? Step out and do what's right. Take Him at His Word and act on it. Back to Judges, we find ourselves with Caleb in the Negev once again. Again, picked out by God to go on this mission. Again, facing the "giants" Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. This time getting to see God's Word become a reality before his very eyes, being brought into the land, seeing his enemies defeated. In Day 1: Delighting in God as the Know-er of All Things, I brought up the issue of not being chosen. But now, seeing the bigger picture, what joy! God chose Judah because there was a prophecy to be fulfilled through Caleb of the tribe of Judah. It wasn't about how great Caleb or the tribe of Judah was or wasn't. It was all about God revealing Himself as the Faithful One. The Keeper of His Word. The Prophecy Fulfiller. Are there situations right now in your life you're seeing through the lens of it being about you? Ask God to help you step back and get a glimpse of Him and how He is revealing Himself through your situation. Because of how things have worked out to be right now, right this moment, what about God's heart and character is able to be seen? And guess what? From there they advanced (Judges 1:11). Until then, they couldn't go any farther because they had disobeyed God. They kept wallowing round and round. But once they finally obeyed Gods command, they moved forward; they advanced!
Are you getting to see God move you forward in trusting Him with new things? If not, perhaps it's because you haven't obeyed Him in what He's already called you to. Spend some time asking Him if there are things He has led you to do that you have ignored.

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Judges 1:17-19 Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah. The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron--each city with its territory. The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots. (Judges 1:17-19) What wisdom the Simeonites had. No other tribe was able to fully obey God. Only those who brought others with them and did not go it alone. God doesn't intend for us to enter battlefields alone either. Even Judah's faith would not exceed what they would seethe chariots of ironeven when they knew exactly what was to come, even when God told them ahead of time they would come up against those chariots of iron. You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out. (Joshua 17:17-18) Perhaps it's easy to think that if we just knew ahead of time, we would have been prepared. It's not a matter of knowing whats to come; it's having a heart thats ready. A sweet lady I go to church with said that one time the Lord led her to fast, though she wasn't sure why. She fasted and realized later that her fast, her time set apart time with the Lord, made her heart ready for one of the hardest trials she would ever face in her life, which happened shortly after the fast. I can think of four major battlefields. These are battlefields that we should not go alone but should prepare our hearts ahead of time, battlefields that require us to be strategic and not fly by the seat of our pants, hoping we make it through the fire.

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1. Battlefield of Temptation. Has God called you somewhere where you might be exposed to temptation? If it's a place He hasn't sent you, then run like Joseph. But if it's a place He's sent you, don't go alone. Who will you physically take with you? 2. Battlefield of Mission. Has God called you to be on mission? The greatest mission is telling people about Him. But He hasn't called you to be on mission alone. Who can you partner with? Who can help you take the next step in learning to live on mission? 3. Battlefield of the Mind. "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is perhaps the hardest of the battlefields because most often we don't know were believing lies; otherwise, we wouldn't believe them. After all, who wants to believe a lie? So a great way to fight this battle of destroying the lies we believe is to get into God's Word with other believers. Who do you/can you get into God's Word with on a regular basis? What is the next step for you and them?
4. Battlefield of Emotional Health. Are you struggling through an area of your life that needs emotional healing? Don't go it alone. Seeing a counselor does not mean youre messed up; it means youre gaining wisdom to become healthy. Are there things in your life you haven't shared with anyone? Pray about telling someone who loves you and loves Jesus. Growth comes when things come out of the dark and into the light.

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Judges 1:21-2:6 The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out The tribe of Ephraim also failed to drive out The tribe of Zebulun also failed to drive out The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim with a message for the Israelites. He told them, "I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. Why, then, have you disobeyed my command? Since you have done this, I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you." When the angel of the LORD finished speaking, the Israelites wept loudly. So they called the place "Weeping," and they offered sacrifices to the LORD. After Joshua sent the people away, each of the tribes left to take possession of the land allotted to them. (Judges 1:21,27,30, 2:1-6) Oh, Lord, this is a day of weeping, a somber message. Please prepare our hearts to hear from You today. Not only hear, but respond. Here we arewilling, available, and openfor You to mold our hearts to Yours. Conform our hearts, attitudes, thoughts, and desires to Yours. Make us love what You love and hate what You hate. Give us a glimpse of Your glory, for You say that those who know You will display strength and take action. You know, 3:00 a.m. calls are never good. But we get those once in a while. And we got one the other day from a student sharing things she had never shared before. Horrific events of the past. Another life deeply affected by the pain of sexual abuse. Sexual immorality is in our face. Right now, orgies are becoming commonplace on college campuses, 5-year-olds are sold for sex by their parents every night in Cambodia, and girls are trafficked all over the world. Even here in the United States, 10-year-old boys have been raped at Penn State. Fifty million are dead from abortion, which is five times the amount killed in the holocaust. Sexual sin has massive fallout.

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We can see the massive effects of sexual sin from Abraham and Sarah. God said He would give them a son. But instead of trusting Him, Abraham had sex with Hagar, resulting in Ishmael, the lineage of many Arabic people who fight today against the Jews in Israel. Thats four thousand years of fallout. In the time of Judges, the Israelites didn't obey. They didn't tear down the altarsthe things they raised up to worship rather than God. And what happened? Jesus showed up! I love when we get a glimpse of Him in the Old Testament. There He was, and He came with a message of correction. Ugh. Wouldn't that be awful? Of all the things I would love to hear God say, this is not something I would want to hear: "Why, then, have you disobeyed my command?" But I believe God does say this to us today: Neither did _______ drive them out. Just like what was said about tribe after tribe, it would be said of us: Neither did the _____ generation drive them out but allowed sexual immorality to live among them, to be tolerated. (Side note: I am not talking about the convictions of how people dress, but rather what the Bible calls sin rape, homosexuality, sexual immorality, pornography, and the like.) When are we going to say enough? When are we going to let the holy anger burn and not quench it in our hearts and let passivity rule? When are we going to stand up and say, No More! Not in my generation you don't? When are we going to take on the giants of government and media and call for a sexual revolution? Why did these tribes not fully obey God? I imagine taking over a city is hard work. Perhaps they would rather go to their game nights, decorate the city, and watch their favorite show on TV. Just as taking over a city requires intense energy, so does saying No More! to sexual immorality in our generation. The cost is high, but passivity must be rejected. For me, I want to do something, but I often get so stuck in seeing the hugeness of what needs to happen that I fail to see how important each step is. I end up thinking a little thing is not that important, and I end up doing nothing. A lifetime of giving in to this attitude has robbed me of wisdom on how to act in this area. So here are my ideas of what can be done to reject passivity and say No More! * PRAY! Every revival has started by prayer. You can pray daily. You can gather others to pray weekly, daily, or monthly. (Our students pray from 7:00-11:00 p.m. once a month. If they can do it, surely you and some other friends can too.)

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* WRITE! Letters, emails, blogs, and Facebook posts calling for a sexual revolution, or better yet, a sexual revival-ution. Demand higher punishments for pedophiles (most of them, if they are given any time in jail, are only sentenced to a few months to a year). Call for stricter standards of what goes on commercials. (Seriously, is a 10-year-old boy seeing a Victoria's Secret commercial sexually healthy?) Make a fuss about the books read in schools that make having two mommies seem okay and normal. What would it look like for you to take the land? To destroy the altars (the things people worship) in our culture? For so long we have seen the effects of them being thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you" (Judges 2:3). And when the Israelites eyes were opened to this, they wept loudly and took possession of the land allotted to them. How will we respond? Will we weep yet do nothing? Will we not feel a thing, hardened by sin? Or will we weep and take possession? What would it look like today to take a step toward saying No More? Oh, Lord, please motivate us with Your motives. Not judgment but not passivity either. But rather a willingness to tear down the altars. Show us specifically what to do, what step each of us can take toward saying No More! Lord, this world will never be perfect until You destroy it with fire and bring Your kingdom, but that doesnt mean we shouldn't stand up f or righteousness. Lord, You say that in the end many will die and be martyred because they stood for what was right. Put that resolve in us. Let Your purity be seen through our generation.

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Judges 2:7-11 And the Israelites served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him -- those who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the land he had inherited, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight and worshiped the images of Baal. (Judges 2:7-11) Everything about us is rooted in what we believe about God. For example, if we believe He is good, then when something hard happens we persevere, our faith increases, and we are full of hope. If we doubt God's goodness and rather believe He is incompetent or doesn't care about us or our desires, we are tight-fisted, self-reliant, and untrusting. So, of course, Scripture says, "another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight." They hadn't seen the great and mighty things the Lord had done. But just because they hadn't seen, doesn't mean it didn't happen. Have you ever seen the mind-trick where youre challenged to count the number of times a ball is passed around in a group of people, then someone dressed up like a gorilla walks through, spins around, and you are so focused on counting the amount of times the ball is passed that you dont even see the gorilla (unless you knew to look for it)? Well, the same is true with the Lord. He is showing His great and mighty deeds every day. He shows His character through the things He has created, and it's our fault if we don't see Him (Romans 1:20). Not only is He showing Himself through everything created, but He is also revealing Himself through His Word and His fullness dwelt in bodily form in Jesus. If we want to see the Father, look at the Son. If we are not seeing what is true about the Lord, then we can't believe what's true about Him. Then whatever is in our hearts comes out in action. Like the Israelites, we end up doing what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.

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So here's the question for us: Is what we believe about God true? Because it's a big deal if it's not. It will affect everything about us. Here's a practical way to know: Recount the last few hours and make a list of the things you did, thought, and felt. What do they reveal about your beliefs in God? I am so grateful the Lord has chosen to reveal Himself to us because believing the truth about the Lord leads to life. How are you putting the truth about God and what He is like before the people in your life? Here are some ideas: One, make a rock box. In the book of Joshua, when the people crossed the Jordan River, God told them to make a pile of twelve huge rocks as a memorial, a way to remember for generations to come what God had done. You can do the same. Write on rocks how God has come through for you and keep them in a special jar or container to display. Then when others see and comment, it's a great opportunity to brag on God. And it's a good way to keep the reminder before your kids. Two, make a memory box. Its the same thing as the rock box, but instead of rocks, fill the jar with something else that reminds you of how God came through. What other ideas do you have for putting the truth about God before the people in your life?
Oh, Lord, make us better at being magnifying glasses of Your glory to the people in our life. Give us ideas of how to creatively display Your glory and how to tell about You in engaging ways and how to more often proclaim Your excellencies from day to day.

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Judges 2:11-12 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger. (Judges 2:11-12) Many people have one of two false perceptions about God. On the one hand, they make God made in their own imagea God who is never angry and has a human kind of love. God is nice and sweet and gentle; therefore, He never acts in truth. On the other hand, they think God is hateful and spiteful, just waiting for someone to mess up. Judges 2, however, shows us that neither of these perceptions about God is true. Even in His anger, He does what is best. God hates sin. And God's wrath is something we tend to avoiduntil, of course, someone has hurt us; then we want God to "get em." But without a proper understanding of God's anger and His wrath poured out on sin, the cross of Christ can only be seen as a decoration on a wall. Joy and comfort can be found in God's wrath. Check this out: After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." (Revelation 19:1-2) Man, I understand this! If I get to be there for that, I am going to be joyfully jumping up and down, crying and screaming my head off. Shouting because God will destroy evil. He will destroy not only the One who corrupted, but also death, the effects of the corruption. Jesuswith His sword of truth from His mouth and coming on a white horse to fight for His peoplewill destroy the One who corrupted the hearts and minds of men who rape young children. Jesus will destroy the One who corrupts minds and hearts to keep them from understanding the God who is able to save them from hell. That is more than a deep satisfaction; that is a joy so great that it demands a roar of a great multitude!
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I love to talk about relying on God's Spirit to live His life through us, His Word, His character, and heaven. I love to think about heaven. Have you ever read Heaven by Randy Alcorn? So good! It is a common misconception that heaven is a place where we float on clouds and sing all day long. I believe that is a distortion from the Enemy to keep us from wanting to go there. Why live in light of eternity if you think it's going to be boring? And how can you even live in light of eternity if you don't have a vision of what it will be like? God wants us to have an understanding, a vision, of heaven. That is why I like the scene described in verse above (as well as the many other verses in the Bible). Hear this, my friend: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love himbut God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. That last part is the shocker, huh? And often the part left off of this oh-so-familiar verse. God has revealed to us what heaven will be like. Not all of it, of course, but He has given us a picture, and He has described for us scenes and such. Singing will be something we do in heaven. But not all we do. It will be a response, not an activity: Holy, holy, holy is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong, The Was, The Is, The Coming. Every time the Animals gave glory and honor and thanks to the One Seated on the Throne - the age-afterage Living One - the Twenty-four Elders would fall prostrate before the One Seated on the Throne. They worshiped the age-after-age Living One. They threw their crowns at the foot of the Throne, chanting, Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God! Take the glory! The honor! The power! You created it all; It was created because you wanted it. (Revelation 4:8-11) Crowns were laid down with singing because they got a glimpse of God's character. Revelation 5 shows how they worshipped in song because they saw what Jesus was worthy of and the effects. Singing will not be a boring pull-out-your-song-sheet-and-sing-your-best. We will have such a deep ah-ha moment of what God is like that singing and shouting will be the only appropriate response. And get this, even a deep understanding of God's anger, His wrath poured out on sin, will ignite us to this type of exultation. Pick an attribute of God. Ask God to give you a glimpse of His glory and spend some time thinking about that specific attribute today. If you lived like you trusted/relied on God as ______________(insert the attribute you're reflecting on), what would it look like practically? And what about your life would change?
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Judges 2:14-15 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. (Judges 2:14-15) Love does what's in the best interest of another. Even in His anger, the Lord did what was best for the people who had defamed His glory. Do you have an example of someone hurting you, yet you did what was in their best interest anyway? God doesn't do whats best for us because we deserve it or because we are such awesome people. He does whats best for us because it is a showcase for His glory, an opportunity to show what His heart and character are like. And really, it would be idolatry if He ruled as though we were the center of the universe, as though we were more important than Him. He does whats best for us to show us how great He is and how huge His love is. The passage in Hebrews 12:5-11 compares earthly fathers, who discipline their children because they love them, with our Father God, who disciplines us, even allowing our enemies to overtake us because He loves us. God is willing to go through the pain with us in order to bring us back to Him. God does the hard thing. He doesn't cater to fleshly desires. How deep the Father's love is for us and for the truthful display of His character that He wont let us remain in disobedience. The Lord is so loving that He wont let us remain as we are. In His kindness, He will lead us to repentance. But how much greater to turn to the Lord moment by moment and not take the route of the downward spiral leading to the place where the enemies overtake!

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What does repentance look like in your daily life? Love is unselfishly choosing to do what's in the best interest of another. Who in your life has God called you to love (but you don't quite feel like it, or perhaps they don't "deserve" it)? What would it practically look like to do what's in their best interest?

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Judges 2:16-19 Then the LORD raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their enemies. Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves to other gods, bowing down to them. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the LORD's commands. Whenever the LORD placed a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge's lifetime. For the LORD took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They followed other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. (Judges 2:16-19) "The cycle of disobedience, discipline, despair and deliverance are seen today whenever God's people turn away from His Word and go their own way . . . The book of Judges is the inspired record of Israel's failures and God's faithfulness." Warren Wiersbe The same is true today. Like Hosea's wife, we prostitute ourselves by giving ourselves to other things which only God rightly deserves. We look to other things for affirmation, approval, and acceptance when really they can only be found in Christ. But just as God provided a rescuer for the Israelites, He provided one for us as well. Jesus is the Great Rescuer. Though we may be found faithless, He will always remain faithful. Our failures never trump God's redemptive power. Stories of Rescue So, theres this guy AJa student on the campus where we work. Hes pretty awesome. A couple of weeks ago, while on his way to serve the homeless by feeding and sharing the gospel, he saw a car with a parking ticket. The Lord prompted him to pay for the ticket. After going back and forth with the Lord about it, he walked back to the car, took the ticket, and left a note in its place. The note said: Your ticket has been paid for, just like your sin by Jesus dying on the cross. John 3:16. But a few months ago, this AJ didn't exist. He was a dead man walking. But after going to a retreat and having an inspiring conversation with a lady, he surrendered his life to Christ. Jesus rescued him and gave Him life and life to the full.
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And there is Luwam. Oh, she is just wonderful. She is one of the friendliest people I know. On campus she sits with people she doesn't know. This is a campus of 40,000 students, most of whom are commuter students, who are so grateful to have someone come sit with them. And many times she gets to talk about Jesus since He is what defines her life. On March 16, she bought candy bars and wrote John 3:16 on them since it was 3/16. She handed out the candy bars to people, telling them that God loves them. Who thinks of that? She was also the one who planned, by her own initiative, the feeding-the-homeless night that AJ went to! She is currently studying public health and wants to do medical missions. Her heart for the Lord is big. But it wasn't this way two years ago. She came to college not knowing she was missing anything. She grew up going to church and hearing about Jesus, but she never heard about her need for forgiveness. But Jesus stepped in and gave her understanding and rescued her from a future apart from Him. When Jesus rescues, a life changes. Beautiful! Jesus will never stop rescuing us until the final rescue of Revelation 19. Jesus is the One who rescues our hearts, the seat of our affections, and not just its symptoms. And He will come again to rescue us and this earth from the grip of the Enemy. Look to the heavens, where does our help come from? It comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. What do you tend to turn to besides the Lord to find acceptance, affirmation, and approval? What leads you to that point? If you have decided to trust Jesus' perfection instead of your own to make you right with God, then remember that He doesn't think any less of you when you fail. You're forgiven. And He extends His hand of mercy, offering yet again life to the full if you would take it.
Oh, Lord, we are so desperate for You. We want to be a blessing to You, and when we don't want to, change our hearts. Lord, we so often look to other things instead of You to fill us. Just like Hosea's wife and the Israelites, we prostitute our hearts and our affections to things that are not worthy. Would You change us, Lord? Open our eyes to when we are doing this and remind us; help us turn to You in the moment and see You once again rescue us.

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Judges 2:22-3:4 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses. (Judges 2:22-3:4) There are two words for testing in Judges: 1. nacah: to prove, to attempt (which is the one used here) 2. tsaraph: to fuse, refine, purify, purge away, try The Israelites most likely understood this since Moses talked about it in Exodus. Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin. (Exodus 20:20) God testing us is a pretty awesome thing. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4) Wow. Testing produces perseverance which, in turn, brings maturity. For example, sometimes God lets us experience dry times, times when we dont feel as connected to Him, to challenge our faith. To give us a glimpse of our heart, of what it would take to get us to stop pursuing Him. Sometimes God tests us, not so He can find out new
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information, but so we can. What a smart thing! Think about it. If you were feeling like God was far away, like you werent hearing from Him, perhaps even like He wasn't even there, would you still seek out consistent, extended quality time with Him? We are tested, but not without hope. Get this, in chapter 3 where it has talked about testing twice, "the Lord," which means Jehovah God, is named fifteen times! How crazy is that? There are only thirty verses in this chapter, so that means God is reminding us, in every other verse, that He is God and can do whatever He pleases. He is God, and He is the One in charge. Last week we spent time thinking about the tribes that failed to completely drive out the Canaanites. And now we hear of more consequences. A reminder that God doesn't ever let people sin and get away with it. But God sought to use their misery for their own good... Life had been relatively easy for the Jews in the Promised Land, and they needed the challenge of ever-present danger to keep them alert and disciplined... the Jews had to keep some kind of standing army, or their enemies could quickly unite and overpower them... In the years to come, both Saul and David would need effective armies in order to overcome their many enemies and establish the kingdom." Warren Wiersbe God is so incredible! When He is testing us, He is not merely concerned about right now; He sees years from now and how it all could and will pan out. His testing has a future purpose. Seriously, that is so encouraging. We don't know the future, but God does. And He is preparing us for then. What better place to be than resting in Him?
Thank you, Lord, for testing us! Help us to lean on You and fully depend on You. "For you, O God, have put us to the test: testing us by fire like silver" (Psalm 66:10). Let us be a life laid down, a pleasing aroma to You, being found faithful.

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Judges 3:7-11 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died. (Judges 3:7-11) Othniel was Caleb's younger brother (some scholars say his nephew). What do you think he felt about being the deliverer? Here are my guesses: 1. Unworthy and inadequate. Perhaps he looked up to Caleb, who he saw as larger than life. Perhaps he thought, "God could never use me." 2. Jealous and prideful. Perhaps he looked at Caleb and thought, "He's not so great. Why does God use him so much?" 3. Uninterested. Perhaps he was like the son whose father wanted to give him the family business, but he would rather do something else. Maybe he didn't like fighting and would rather cook (like Jacob). But no matter the attitude, it is obvious that he was willing and available to the Lord. And as a result, not only was Israel rescued and sustained for forty years, but we get a glimpse of the beauty God is able to bring from a life laid down. Did you know there are three definitions for life in the New Testament? 1. bios: physical life 2. zoe: eternal life
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3. psuche: the mind, will, and emotions/your heart, your seat of affections When Jesus says, "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11) and "The Son of man did not come to be served but to give His life for a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45) and "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 10:39), these are all instances of psuche. Wow, huh? Unless a seed falls to the ground, beauty cannot emerge. When we lay down our expectations and dreams and hopesour plans for our liveswe wont be disappointed because God brings forth life and life to the full! But if we cling to our own ________ (fill in the blank with the thing that is hard to trust God with), our life remains a seed never bloomed. I think it's worth heeding Jim Elliot's advice, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Yesterday, I talked about God testing us. What is He testing you with? What is He asking you to plant in the ground/lay down and die with and trust Him to bloom? "The Holy Spirit longs to reveal to you the deeper things of God. He longs to love through you. He longs to work through you. Through the blessed Holy Spirit you may have: strength for every duty, wisdom for every problem, comfort in every sorrow, joy in His overflowing service." T.J. Bach

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Judges 3:12-14 Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. (Judges 3:12-14) In Day 5: No More, I talked about how sexual sin has massive fallout. We see that shocking truth again today. King Eglon was a Moabite. Have you ever studied their origin? Well, here it is. Let's start with Abraham. Jesus and two angels appeared to 99-year-old Abraham. This is when Sarah laughs and later lies when Jesus said she was going to have a baby. When the men got up to leave and looked toward Sodom, do you ever wonder what they felt? When Abraham walked with them, dont you want that to be you too? If Jesus was leaving, wouldn't you want to go with Him, no matter how awful of a place He was going to? This is also when Abraham pleads for Sodom. Later, the angels arrive at Sodom to get Lot out of there because the city would soon be destroyed by fire. (This is another instance of foreshadowing. At the end of the world, the whole earth is going to be destroyed by fire. Just as it was destroyed by the flood in Genesis, it will be destroyed by flame in the end. These are the great judgments of God, the flood and the flame.) For a glimpse of the awfulness of the city, the men of the city are tearing the door down to Lot's house to rape the angels, and Lot actually offers them his daughters if they would leave the men alone. How sick! (And did you know that same depravity exists today in places like Cambodia where the parents offer their 4-year-old daughters to foreign men for sex? Please resist the urge to think Sodom is worse than we are. Our world is in desperate need of Jesus and in desperate need to see God's wrath.) The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it... the angels urged Lot, saying, 'Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are
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here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished. When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city. (Genesis 19:13-16) Lots family escaped; they headed to the hills and lived in a cave. And these daughters of Lot, the daughters he offered to the Sanduskys of Sodom, got their dad drunk and raped him. Ahhhhh! And now, the point. The older daughter got pregnant by her dad and named him Moab, who is the father of the Moabitesthe great, great (not sure how many greats are in there) grandpa of Eglonthe king in Judges who God used to take over the Israelites. Indeed, sexual sin has massive fallout. The thing that seems to bring freedom really, in turn, brings bondage. And don't think the younger sister's sin from Genesis 19 didn't also have massive fallout. She gave birth to Ben-Ammi, the father of the Ammonites who were responsible for human sacrifices/baby killing. The Ammonites joined Eglon to attack Israel, as described in Judges 3. These two tribes were the Israelites biggest enemies. Charles Spurgeon says, "God never allows His people to sin successfully. Their sin will either destroy them or it will invite the chastening hand of God." Sin has consequences. Always, though sometimes delayed. But God is still in control, allowing and shaping it to bring about redemption. Heavy stuff. So what are we supposed to do with this information? God could have left this awful stuff out of the Bible, but He didn't. So what does God want us to learn from this detestable city and its peoples sin with massive fallout? These verses give us a glimpse: People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (Luke 17:27-33)

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Live ready. In the days of Noah, the people were more focused on consuming and doing as they pleased. And the same was true in the city of Sodom. Is it true for you? What are you most consumed with? What are your greatest passions and are you open-handed with them for the Lord to do with them as He pleases? For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. (2 Peter 2:4-9) Trust the Lord can rescue you just like He rescued Lot. His grace is sufficient for whatever you are facing now and whatever you will face two years from now. The Lord is able. The Lord is willing. Finally, sexual sin doesn't have a fill-up point. It doesn't say, That's enough. I'm full. Unless people stand up and take action and do what is right, things will get worse in our culture. What would it look like for you to take action in saying No More?

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Judges 3:15-30 Today's section of Scripture is long, but quite the engaging story, so stay with me. Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a lefthanded man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, I have a secret message for you, O king. The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him. Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead. While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. "Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years. (Judges 3:15-30)

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Here are some interesting details: 1. Ehud was left-handed. In that day, that was very highly respected since it gave him an advantage of the unexpected in battle. 2. The dagger was a foot-and-a-half long, yet it sunk into King Eglon's body and got surrounded by fat. Can you picture that? Ugh. 3. Ehud sent away the men who carried the tribute. For the tribute to have been so large that it required several men to carry it, I wonder what it was. 4. When waiting for someone in the bathroom, how long would you have to wait until reaching the "point of embarrassment"?

God raised up Ehud to play a major role in bringing freedom, but the people had to join him. And they did! They followed whole-heartedly and gave all they had. And guess what happened? God brought freedom for eighty years! I find a striking parallel to today. God has raised up a young man, Tim Tebow, and has given him an incredible platform, creating many opportunities to bring freedom to the captives and eternal life to the lost. God is doing something really cool through Tim Tebow, and we have an incredible opportunity to join him. We have an opportunity not just to sit back as spectators of a modern-day Ehud, if you will, but to join him in telling our sphere of influence about how awesome Jesus is. I'm sure you've heard of the six degrees of separation. Basically, all of us are connected to each other through six connections. Its an I-know-someone-your-friend-knows type of thing. When you think in terms of getting into a spiritual conversationleading into sharing the gospel with someonethis six degrees law comes in handy. Just have six topics you are comfortable with that you can easily transition into talking the gospel. For me, my job as a missionary to college students is an easy one for me. For me, another is fear, since it is a big part of my testimony. And now, God has provided all of us with another in Tim Tebow. Austin took me on a date after a football game and was able to share the gospel with our waiter just by talking about football and then talking about Tim Tebow. Talking about Tim Tebow easily led to the question, "What do you think about Tim Tebow's religious stance?" and "Where do you stand spiritually?"

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Basically, if you can turn the conversation to Tim Tebow, you can then talk about the gospel. Take the example of Tebow and walk by faith. Dont let the fear of failure stop you. Just ask people where they are at in their spiritual journey. Then you can say something as simple as "Can I tell you my story?" or "Want to know how Tim Tebow got the way he is?" Then you can share how Tim was separated from God because he hadn't measured up to God's standard of perfection, but he chose to recognize that, asked Jesus to forgive him, and gave Him control of his life. Then God started changing him from the inside out and made him the man of strong character and courage he is today. Go ahead try it! The measure of success is obedience, not perfection and not results.

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Judges 3:31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel. (Judges 3:31) Of all the deliverers God raised up, Shamgar has the shortest description of his influence in Israel. There is only one other person whose description only contains one relationship in their life: their father, son of______. All the rest mention the people who worked with them or the fruit of their life (like kids). But not Shamgar. Why do you suppose that is? You might be able to single-handedly destroy an entire brigade with an eight-foot-long metal-tipped pole. Okay, maybe not. But even if you could, the buck stops there. There is no mention of how many years Israel had peace; there is no mention of lasting effects or fruit. Perhaps God was intentional about leaving that out because He didn't create us to fight battles on our own. Perhaps its because Shamgar already received all the glory due him since he relied only on himself? God created us to need each other. He created us to function as a machine fitted together with all the parts working toward the one goal of making Him known. Each little part has to do its part and has to be reliant on the others to do their part. For a machine to work, each part has to value the other parts and not insist that every other part think and act just like it does. But how easy is that to do? To think my way is the right way and look down on others who don't get it or don't have it figured out yet? When we start valuing each others differences, instead of comparing or being jealous, it frees us to rejoice with those who rejoice, and it gives us the freedom to fail. For instance, I am not a fan of cooking, and I have done very little baking in my life. In fact, I made my very first cake today, and it was horrendous. But I am free to fail at being a great cook and incredible baker because God didn't build me that way. He gave me a passion to think and write. A passion to teach.

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I can be excited about how God has built my cooking friends to display His character without jealousy because if we were all the same, how would the world get to see the immense creativity of our God? It's all about Him, not us. Are you thinking or functioning as a Shamgar? Are you trying to do (even something good, something God called you to do) by yourself? If so, that is a dangerous place to be. When Jesus sent out laborers, He never sent them alone. So you might want to spend some time asking the Lord how and who to include with you. In what ways are you functioning as though your way is the only way? (When it comes to something that disagrees with Scripture, there is obviously only one right waylike Jesus being God and the only way to receive forgiveness and eternal life.) Are you jealous of someone else's gift? Are you comparing yourself to others? How is that effecting how you're uniquely built to display the glory of God? Why not spend some time talking to God about it right now? Are you playing your part in the great giving-God-glory machine? Are you giving what God built in you to contribute toward making Him known? If not, why? Perhaps it's because you're unsure how you fit or what your unique contribution is. Here are some helpful resources: The life-direction circles and INVEST acronym worksheet will help you figure out how you are built and how you can know your God-given purpose. The video explaining the worksheet.

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Judges 4:2-3 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help. (Judges 4:2-3) I have two wonderful boys. Theyre a year apart and both wildly full of energy and strongwilled. Today, there was a new teacher in Asher's (our oldest, age 4) Sunday school class. When we picked him up and asked his teacher how it went, she responded, "He's intense." Yup. And when my sons are around each other, which is almost always, the intensity is multiplied to a whole new level. My youngest son, Uriah (age 3), is my sweet-and-cuddly-yet-also-stubborn redhead. For example, I typically wake him up in the morning and carry him downstairs. And that is his expectation now. If it is slightly different than expected, he has a hard time adjusting. Hell throw a fit for an hour. I pray often for the Lord to give him a meek spirit. Then there is my daughter Eden (age 1). Yesterday, she yanked an ornament off the tree. We said, No. And she stopped. That was it! But for our sons Asher and Uriah to get to that point, it literally took two and three years of daily correction and persistent discipline. (Sometimes two-to-three-hour battles.) Meekness is strength under control. Its a picture of a wild horse rearing with its mane flipping around its neck, unwilling to submit and yield to the trainer. It takes a lot to get that wild horse under control in order to be useful to its master. We can be the beauty of bridled strength if we choose to yield to His way in our life instead of clinging to other things. Don't you find it amazing the Lord knows exactly what it takes to get us where He wants us? It took 900 iron chariots and twenty years to get these sweet people to a place of surrender to the Lord. But it didn't have to be that way. It doesn't have to be that way for us either. How beautiful would it be to willingly yield and surrender before it hurt? How beautiful would it be to walk with the Lord and be so sensitive and receptive to His leading
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and correction that it wouldn't take something dramatic to convince us and bring us into submission? How quick are you to yield to the Lord? Is it quicker in some areas than others? If so, what are the areas that take longer to surrender to Him? Why? Take a few minutes and let go of what you hold tightly and lay it as His feet as a beautiful offering.

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Judges 4:8-13 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brotherin-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. (Judges 4:8-13) Insights 1. The Kenites had been allies with Israel and Jael, who was Moses' relative and was married to Heber. Heber is the one who told King Sisera where the Israelites were. But even though the Kenites stopped supporting the Israelites, it didn't throw God off. He used their betrayal to bring victory just like being betrayed by a kiss brought victory through a kiss. 2. God told Barak, through Deborah, to attack, which was a huge act of faith since they hardly had any weapons. To gather 10,000 men to go to battle without any weapons seemed impossible. Barak and his men were not equipped, but he chose to step out anyway. 3. The Canaanites depended on their 900 chariots. As the Psalmist says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7. And it proved to not work out so well for the Canaanites. 4. God told Barak to step out and trust Him, which was a huge step of faith, but Barak said he would obey only if it wasn't bad or sinful to ask for Deborah to go with him. In fact, one could argue that it would be wise to have someone who hears from the Lord by your side. But when Barak said he wouldn't obey God unless she went, that exposed his reliance more upon the messenger than on the Message Giver.
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5. Barak was definitely not perfect and fell short in his attitude of reliance, but that did not mess up God's ultimate plans for the Israelites to win this battle. It did, however, change the effect of who got the honor. 6. Deborah reminded him what was true, enabling them to move forward with courage.

Principles 1. They didn't have a great strategy, and they didnt have the best resources. Actually, they had hardly any. But God came through because they obeyed Him. They humbled themselves under God's authority, and He lifted them up (1 Peter 5:5-8). We don't need everything to be perfect before we do what God told us to do. 2. When we feel unsure about moving forward, if we remember whats true about God, that will give us courage. And for others, the best way to encourageto give courage to othersis to remind them what is true about God. 3. God will even use betrayal and those who have abandoned us or others for His glory to bring about His purposes.

What's your stipulation? What is it that would cause you to refuse to obey the Lord and do what He wants of you? Are you trusting in something like chariots (such as material things or personal strength) to accomplish things rather than God? When things get hard, what truth about God most comforts you?

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Judges 4:17-5:31 The LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-Haggoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left. (Judges 4:17-5:31) Insights 1. The word routed means "confused/to be thrown into a panic." Picture this: The Lord brought torrential rain, a flood, during the dry season, causing the 900 chariots to be useless. They freaked out, and rightly so, since they worshiped Baal, the false god who they thought controlled the rain. Was Baal mad at them? Was the Israelite God more powerful than Baal? They were so scared they dropped their weapons and took off, thus providing the Israelites with weapons. Wow! Yesterday, I was struck by how Barak got 10,000 men to obey God and attack the Canaanites without any weapons. Today, we get to see how God came through. 2. The Canaanites put all their trust in their weapons, chariots, and false god Baal. The Lord and Creator of Heaven and Earth shook their rickety foundation to expose that none of those things were worthy of their trust, hope, and reliance. Principles 1. Nothing is impossible for God! He can bring flood in the dry season and can cause mighty warriors to drop their swords and put them into others' hands. 2. Sometimes God may ask us to do something we don't feel fully equipped for, but He will give us what we need when we need it and perhaps not before we need it. 3. God will always shake the things we trust in and expose them as false gods. If we are trusting in things other than Him, we will panic as a good dose of reality shoots through our veins. 4. God can never be shaken. His foundation is firm and more solid than anything we have ever relied on. What are you relying on to bring peace, joy, and hope?

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Judges 5:2-31 When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves praise the LORD! "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the LORD! You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the city gates. Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song! Arise, O Barak! Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam. Then the men who were left came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came to me with the mighty. Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek; Benjamin was with the people who followed you. From Makir captains came down, from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff. The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves. The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field. Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver, no plunder. From the heavens the stars fought,

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from their courses they fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong! Then thundered the horses' hoofs-- galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds. Curse Meroz, said the angel of the LORD. Curse its people bitterly, because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty. Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tentdwelling women. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk. Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. At her feet he sank, he fell; there he lay. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead. Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she cried out, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed, she keeps saying to herself, Are they not finding and dividing the spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for my neck-- all this as plunder? So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years. (Judges 5:2-31) What has God given you to present back to Him as a pleasing sacrifice? For when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord!(Judges 5:2). As I asked the Lord what I had to give Him, He reminded me that I have writing. Writing about Him and bragging about Him is so honoring to Him! Have you ever had someone talk good about you behind your back and it gets back to you? A girl on staff with us, Angi, is great at this. I just found a comment on someones blog of her saying good things about me. I had no idea this was out there until I found it by chance. Bragging about Him through written words is a beautiful gift to Him. The wise men bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and I bring my written words and join them at laying these gifts at Jesus feet. What about you? What has He entrusted you to give back to Him as an offering to bring Him glory? I love how Randy Alcorn puts it, "Jesus didn't just come in order to just snatch our spirits from this world to another. He came to redeem this whole creation." Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and return are less about us and more about God displaying His character. He even spelled it out in Genesis 5 through the meaning of names. I'll show you. Here it is: Adam means Man
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Seth-Appointed Enosh-Mortal Kenan-Sorrow Mahalalel-The blessed God Jared-Shall come down Enoch-Teaching/Narrowing Methuselah-His death shall bring Lamech-The despairing Noah-Rest So here it is, Man appointed mortal sorrow. The blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing rest. The miraculous birth speaks more of a Savior than the needing to be saved. The cross and return speak more about the Redeemer than the Redeemed.

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Judges 6:2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. (Judges 6:2) For seven years, Midian was so oppressive that the people looked to a cave for security and hope rather than the Lord. It sounds crazy. How much can a cave rescue and redeem? A cave is isolation, darkness, and walls that can only provide a place to hide. We can allow hard times, times promised by Jesus to come, to cause us to hide and become unhealthier or we can cling to the Light. When irritations and impatience abound, let's press into it and love with the love the Lord provides instead of running to a cave. When passive aggressive communication happens or harsh words spill, lets not run to isolation and put up walls, but lets stand in the strength the Lord provides and communicate pursuing peace. Let's run from the caves to Jesus our marvelous Light.

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Judges 6:7-8 When the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet. (Judges 6:7-8a) We have a God who responds! Are you the one crying out? The Lord responds. He meets you where you're at. Are you crying out for others? The Lord responds. Are you crying out for the lost? Jesus understands what you see and what you feel. When He walked this earth, He saw the lost and had compassion on them as sheep without a shepherd. He responds, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:36-39). Is someone you know hurting? Harassed and helpless? Pray to the Lord of the harvest. Spend some time praying for the things on your mind tempting you to worry. Pray for the people God has put in your life and cry out to the Lord for the things the Lord has burdened your heart for.

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Judges 6:11-12 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joashthe Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior. (Judges 6:11-12) Have you ever thought about Jesus sitting down? Well, here He is. What an incredible picture. He goes to Gideon and sits down and waits, watching him. Meanwhile, Gideon is working in a winepress out of fear instead of working outside where he would normally work. So there he is, in the midst of his fear, and Jesus just sits and waits patiently for Gideon to come out. Willing to wait, not tapping his foot impatiently until Gideon notices Him. Then Jesus calls him a mighty warrior. Wow! How wonderful that Jesus sees us through redemptive eyes. Oh, Lord, help us to see ourselves and others the way You do. How beautifully patient You are. Please produce more and more of that patience in our lives.

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Judges 6:13 Pardon me, my lord," Gideon replied, "but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." (Judges 6:13) If Jesus appeared to me, I sure hope my first response would not be to question His goodness, authority, and truthfulness. But when we are not able to see God rightly, like Gideon not knowing he was talking to Jesus, everything is a bit fuzzy and twisted.

When our eyes are so fixed on our circumstances, like Peter walking on the water, it becomes our filter of what God is like. But when our eyes are fixed on Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, He is the filter of how we view our circumstances. Take Job for example. Awful upon awful happens to him. His kids die. Every single one of them. Every material blessing he owned was destroyed, and he gets a painfully horrendous disease and is trying to deal with it all as his well-meaning friends make everything worse. But God steps in and removes Job's glasses-of-circumstance and gives him Gods perspective. In Job 38-40, God shows Job what's true about Him. And that's enough. Job is encouraged, refreshed, and inspired to persevere. Circumstances dont give us rest; Jesus does. "Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Are you wondering why something has happened? Are you wondering where the Lord's wonders are and thinking He has abandoned you? He hasn't. Why not turn to Him, fix your gaze on Him in surrender, and let Him put God-perspective glasses on you? And you know what's awesome? Through Gideon's fit we get to see the graciousness of Jesus. He doesn't throw a fit about Gideon questioning Him. He never says, "Gideon, I made you, and I made that wheat, and you want to question my goodness? And you think Ive abandoned you? I'm right in front of you!" Thank you, Jesus, for your graciousness! If your sin has been forgiven because you surrendered your life to Jesus and let Him take the wrath of the Father on your behalf, then God is not throwing a fit of anger about your

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doubt or fear. Picture His gentleness and patient correction as He turns your eyes back to what's true. Oh, Lord, You are awesome! Help us fix our eyes on You, not on our circumstances. Help us believe what's true about You, so that we might see. What a gift You've given usto see You, to know You, to love You.

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Judges 6:14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you? (Judges 6:14) Do you feel inadequate to serve the Lord? Do you recognize your weaknesses and insecurities? Or are you more like me who thinks I can do it all while pride clouds the reality of my inadequacies? No matter the extreme you tend toward, we are all in the same boat of imperfection. God doesn't call the perfect, but the imperfect, thereby receiving more glory for Himself. The Lord didn't wait until Gideon got it together. He didn't wait for perfection before sending Him. Instead, He moved him to action where he would be dependent on the Lord and the lies he believed would be defeated. Because the more you trust God, the more you trust God. The Lord says the same thing to you and me today. Go! In the strength you have. Has not the Lord sent you? In what ways are you living as a sent one? What strength has the Lord given you/do you have? Oh, Lord, You truly are incredible to call us in our imperfections and inadequacies. It truly is all about You, and so often we get our eyes off of You and on ourselves and how we don't measure up and aren't good enough. Thank You for the reminder that You love our willingness and availability more than our human efforts to attain perfection. Oh, Lord, let this year be a year of actionof walking by faith, not sitting by faith.

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Judges 6:15-16 But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." (Judges 6:15-16) But how? Isn't that our response too? Gideon says, I'm not enough. Have you ever thought or felt that way? Its so easy to overlook reality like Gideon. Did you know that his family was very prominent in the community? Yup. In fact, later in the chapter, his dad is so well-respected the entire community is talked out of their anger. And for goodness sake, they had servants, lots of them. A few verses from now, when Gideon goes to tear down the altar built to a false god, he takes ten of their servants. Yet, he says his clan is the weakest. I think, Really, Gideon? Really? Living in the U.S. and owning a home and computer puts us in the top 5% of the world materially, yet its so easy to say we can't afford to support this or that. You know what I just love? That Jesus doesn't soothe his ego by saying, "Oh, Gideon, you come from a well-respected, prominent tribe. Your family is not the weakest, and you are not the least. He doesn't tell Gideon how awesome and great and wonderful he is, but He tells Gideon how great He (Jesus) is! When He says, "I will be with you," He makes it clear that it's not about what he had or didn't have. It's not about where he came from or who he was. The same goes for us too. Its not about us. It's about Jesus. Many times in Scripture we read these words, I will be with you. These are incredible words of comfort and show us so much about the Lord. But there's no time for it just now. (But I did write about it in another Bible study that I wrote. You can get a copy at Amazon. And 100% of the proceeds go to rescuing and restoring girls from the sex trade. Totally worth it!)

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Judges 6:17 Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me." (Judges 6:17) Aren't you glad that you arent the only one who wonders if it's really God leading/talking to you? Here is Gideon, face to face with Jesus, and hes still questioning if it's really God. Peter does the same thing when face to face with Jesus. He cries out, "If that is really you Lord tell me to come to you on the water." John the Baptist also wonders, while in prison, if Jesus is the expected One or if there would be another. We can be full of doubt sometimes. Even when we have God's very words telling us His will, we still wonder, God is that really You? But God doesn't freak out at Gideons lack of faith. He never says, "Gideon, are you serious? I am your Creator, and I already told you that I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites. How dare you question Me, the Sustainer of the universe!" Nope. Jesus isn't like that. Instead, He keeps reminding Gideon and Peter of the truth of who He is. I find it amazing that the Creator, Sustainer, Deliverer, Speaker, Star-breather, and Judge is also patient with us, knowing we are nothing but dust. Thank you, Lord! We live in constant need of Your patience, yet You never run dry of it. He makes beauty from ashes! He uses our weaknesses and insecurities to show off His incredible patience and grace! Lord, help us to see You more and more as You truly are. Help us to fix our gaze on You, trust in You, and yield to You. Transform us from the inside out as we behold You. Make us look more and more like the reflection of You. Lord, help us take You at Your Word. Help us to not put confidence in our own flesh but in You the Giver of Life and Truth. Help us to have more faith than Gideon and not demand a sign from You but value Your Word as highly as You do. This issue Gideon was struggling with, discerning God's will, is a common one. And a pretty important one. Below is a helpful tool in helping to discern God's will. I think you might like and appreciate it. Give it a glance. Print it out and give it to others too.

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Judges 6:18-22 "Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you." And the LORD said, "I will wait until you return." Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so. With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" (Judges 6:18-22) Oftentimes, we think we have to do something to earn or deserve God's grace. This way of thinking is utterly messed up and robs God of His glory, but God doesn't use it as an opportunity to scold us. Jesus didn't take Gideons sacrifice and throw it down saying, I came to you before your offering. I came to you, not because you are so great, but because I AM. Rather, Jesus uses this moment as an opportunity to increase Gideon's faith. Grace upon grace. Jesus lets Gideon give, and then receives what He doesn't need. How beautiful that the God of the universe receives our imperfect gifts! Just as the meat was accepted, wewho have submitted our lives to Jesus and are trusting in His perfection to make us right before the Fatherare also accepted by the Lord. We are seen through the perfection of Jesus. It wasn't until Gideon stepped out in action, despite his imperfect motives, that he was able to see the Lord rightly. This is incredible because Daniel 11:32 says that "those who know their God will display strength and take action." And here we see Gideon has just a tiny glimpse of God, yet he acts on it, and the result is seeing/knowing God more. It's a beautiful cycle. The more you see/know God, the more you live for Him and the more you see and get to know Him which again moves you to act/live for Him. God set up a life-giving cycle for us to grow in the knowledge of Him!
Oh, Lord, you are so amazing! The very thing we desire, to know You, is the very desire You've put in us. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of Your grace upon grace.

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Judges 6:25-31 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it." The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it." But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar. (Judges 6:25-31) Gideon's father was the one who built the altar to Baal. And the false god Baal was horrific. Here's an excerpt from my Bible study, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional: Baal was the Canaanite god of fertility and was associated with lightning and thunder. They thought that he was in charge of providing what they needed for their crops. The rain is what would give them fertile ground which would give them wealth. Baal is who they thought would do this for them if they did enough to please him. The people thought Baal would go back to the underworld which made the land loose its fertility. In the spring time (they hoped) Baal would come back to life. They thought the offering of blood was what brought him back to life. So they would offer their own babies as sacrifices on the hot burning coals of the altar. If Baal came back to life and had sexual relationship with Asherah (the female half of Baal), then fertility of the land would be produced. Therefore they did horrible sexual acts on the high place in front of other worshippers to seduce or arouse Baal to have sex with Asherah. After

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this happened on the altar, all the members of the adult community would go off to the side and practice intercourse with prostitutes. This whole community perverted two of the most beautiful gifts of God. The gift of a baby and the normal sexual relationship of a man and women in the confines of marriage. Their relationship to Baal was not one of love or grace but one of appeasement and fear.1 What a shameful lineage. A father who set up the altar where people would sacrifice their babies. Yet, in the face of shame, we see how Jesus redeems by using Gideonfearful, doubtful Gideonto be a display of His glory. What a Redeeming God we serve. God not only shows His heart and character through unlikely Gideon, but also through shameful and unlikely Joash, Gideon's father. The people discover Gideon is the one who tore down the altar, a direct offense to his father, the builder of the altar. And the people demand that Gideon is killed for his offense. But get this, Joash replies to the hostile crowd in defense of his son! How beautiful. He is not fearful like Gideon who is so scared to obey God that he takes servants in the middle of the night so he wont be seen. But Joash is courageous in speaking up for his son. This poses the question: Are you trying to obey God in secret? Are you keeping silent for fear of what others might think? It reminds me of the verse that says, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11). If even evil Joash knows how to love his son to his own detriment, how much more does our Father in heaven love us? Through Joash, we see a glimpse of Gods glory as our courageous defender.

Focus on the Family, Faith Lessons on the Prophets and Kings of Israel. Ray VanderLaan

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Judges 6:33-40 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised -- look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. (Judges 6:33-40) So the Midianites and Amalekites joined forces. Our already fearful Gideon must have been freaking out! Until the Holy Spirit filled him. How incredible is that? The very spirit of God, who comes into us when we surrender our life to Jesus and let Him forgive us, replaces fear with courage. I understand this to the core of who I am. Growing up, I was incredibly fearful. I was terrified to talk to anyone. I was beyond shy. I had this fear inside me that thought I might die from the feeling of fear itself. I know fear. When I was in the seventh grade, I attended a barbeque that was sponsored by an organization I worked with. My parents made me talk to another girl my age. I begged them, with terror in my eyes, to please not make me. But they did. I went up to this girl, Tami Leadabrand, and she ended up being the person God used to bring me to church where the pastor sought me out and shared the gospel with me. The moment I submitted myself to Jesus, the fear was immediately gone. Not joking. I went from the never-talking-to-a-soul-at-school girl to little miss popular who wanted to befriend the new girls to tell them about Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives courage beyond what we can ask or imagine.

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Thank You, Lord, for changing my life that day and breaking the bonds of fear that had me bound so tightly! You are worthy of my all. Next, we come to verse 36 and something strange happens. Gideon got side-tracked. He blew a trumpet and summoned all the people, even the people who had previously wanted to kill him for tearing down their altar to Baal, including the tribes that weren't faithful to go with Deborah (Asher, Zubulun, and Naphtali). So the people gatherall 32,000 of them. In the face of this multitude, Gideon saw what Priscilla Shirer calls God Margin. This is the point where our abilities stop and God has to step in and come through. Fearful and faithless, Gideon couldn't take God at His word and needed some reassurance: Are You really going to do as You say? Are You really going to come through? God gave Gideon the reassurance he was looking for through a wet and dry fleece. God also gives us a fleece; ours just looks a bit different. Instead of soft and wooly, it's black and white with red all over, His Word. And rather than reassurance in just one area of God doing as He says He will do, our fleece is filled with hundreds of promises, stories, and encouragements telling us from God's very mouth what He will do and what He is like. God's Word is all the reassurance we need. All generations before us have yearned to have such a gift, to have God's voice actually written down. And not only written, but in our own language! Oh, Lord, thank you! When we trust in signs and experiences, it will never be enough, just like Gideon asking, yet again, for one more test. But God's Word is enough.

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Judges 7:1-8 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. (Judges 7:1-8) Okay, you've got to get visual with me today. Pretend this is an interactive mad-lib type of blog post. Stick with me because this is going to be fun! Lets say you're camping. What do you imagine? Is it cold? Hot? How are you feeling? What is your tent and sleeping arrangements like? Is there grass or dirt? Are there bugs? Do you sing around the campfire? Now here's the stretch, pretend you are a soldier camping with 32,000 other soldiers. Just north of you are 135,000 other soldiers who want to destroy you. Now picture you campsite again. Is it stinky? Loud or quiet? What would you be thinking and feeling? Austin and I had a three-fold honeymoon. We started by camping at the base of a couple of fourteeners with beautiful lakes. Then we stayed at my grandparents cabin in Grand Lake and then headed off to Saint Thomas Island. From start to finish, we went from 14,000 feet in elevation to sea level. When we were camping in the valley, there was a thunder

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storm. The sound was beautiful (but not great for a honeymoon when there is no wood for a fire and you have to live off of apples and granola bars for a couple of days). Well, it just makes me wonder if the 32,000 men heard the 135,000 men in the valley? Would you be scared? I mean really. There you are camping with your buddies and you're getting ready to battle an army over four times your size. Would you be "trembling with fear"? If so, you'd go home with 22,000 other soldiers. What would you feel then? If not, then you'd see 22,000 other soldiers get sent home. Now it's just you and 10,000 soldiers up against the army of 135,000. Now how do you feel? What do you think? Gideon gathers all 10,000 of you together to get water from the stream. You get there, kneel down and drink the water. How would you drink the water out of a stream? Lets say it's clean water and you don't have a filter or a water bottle. Would you stick your mouth to the water? Or would you use your hands to scoop it? If you put your face to the water, then Gideon sends you home. You go to your tent, gather your things, and head home. What do you feel? What are you thinking? Are you glad? Confused? Mad? If you scooped the water with your hands, you watch as Gideon sends virtually everyone else home. You are told to go back and gather the trumpets and supplies from the 9,700 soldiers leaving to go home. What are you thinking? Feeling? How would you react? Staring this God Margin in the face, we are ready to see God come through! Spend the night on this, just like all the soldiers did, and come back tomorrow to see what God does!

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Judges 7:9-15 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands. (Judges 7:9-15) Rise and shine, soldiers. (If you didn't do the interactive mad-lib activity yesterday, please go back and do it. Then come on back for this to make sense.) How are you feeling after a night of sleep? Well, today is the day of getting to see the Lord's salvation. As a soldier camping in the field or a soldier sent home, you don't know that yet. But you will wake to the best news ever. Until then, let's focus on fearful-turned-courageous-through-the-Holy-Spirit Gideon. God wakes him up in the middle of the night and tells him to go down to attack. How do you normally wake up in the morning? I wake up stumbling around a bit achy and unwilling to speak until after a cup of coffee and time with the Lord. If God woke me up, in the middle of the night no less, and told me to go fight 135,000, I don't think I would be as obedient as Gideon. The Lord might only hear me moan as I roll over and go back to sleep. But then those beautiful words are spoken: If you are afraid. Those words move me to want to bow in worship to the Lord right here in the middle of Starbucks! He knows we are but

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dust. He knows how immobilizing fear can be. He knows us so intimately, yet He is so compassionate, seeing our problem providing a way through the fear. God tells Gideon to take his servant Purah. What a privilege for this servant to be called by name, to be hand-picked by God. The Lord cares about our emotions and doesn't just say: Get over it. So here is Gideon and Purah. I can't help but think of the parallel of Jonathan and his armorbearer in 1 Samuel 14. Its wonderful the Lord doesn't leave us to go alone. Then, as Gideon walks by faith, he sees God's perfect timing, for Gideon and Purah arrive at the exact time of this guy sharing his dream with his friend. Wow! What are the chances? Of all 135,000 men, they arrive by this guys tent at this exact time. Don't you just love when God does that? His timing is amazing and way beyond what we think He should do on our time table. Since he got a glimpse of what God was up to, right there in enemy territory, he bowed in worship! Likewise, when we are being intentional about stepping out of our comfort zones to trust the Lord, we get a glimpse of Him and what He is up to. How can you intentionally step out of your comfort zone to trust the Lord today?

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Judges 7:16-25 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.' Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan. (Judges 7:16-25) This is just one story in His-story, yet so much of God's character can be seen through it. Gideonthe same fearful, doubtful Gideon who was once filled and empowered by the Holy Spiritis now facing 450 times the size of his army saying: Follow my lead. Wow! God

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is capable of turning the weakest, most fearful, and discouraged heart into the bravest and most courageous! And these clay pots filled with light. What a beautiful picture also seen in the New Testament. We are but clay pots. For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Corinthians 4:6-11) Once the pots were broken, the light could be seen. The same with us. When we lay our life down, when we surrender, just as a seed dies, Christ's life can be seen through us. How incredible that our infinite God is able to reveal Himself through His finite creation. Can you just imagine it? While each man held his position, the Midianites ran, crying as they fled. We don't even have to do anything spectacular, just step out in faith and be available to the Lord, and He does what He has planned. These guys are just standing there, holding their position while they watch the 135,000 flip out, then run off screaming. My mouth would definitely be dropped. Guess it just takes the tiniest bit of faith, perhaps the size of a mustard seed, the tiniest of all seeds. It's not the amount of faith; it's that we put it in the right place, in the Lord, not ourselves. Our God is able to do the impossible with the tiniest reliance from us. I might also add that the faith of those 300 men didn't make God do this. Their faith simply allowed them to witness Him do it. Many other people were "called out" as a result of these guys trusting the Lord. So the more we trust God, the more others are moved to trust God too. We have a God who created faith to grow like a mustard tree. Which of these truths about God stands out to you today? Why? Is there one truth you need to keep thinking about today in relation to your circumstances?

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Isaiah 9:2-7 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:2-7) The battle of Gideon and the 300 men taking on the army of 135,000 was another picture of the Lord's grand story, a picture of how the Lord would come to defeat the thing that holds us captive and give us freedom. The 135,000 soldiers in the dark valley saw the light as the jars were broken the same way those who lived on this broken earth, the valley of the shadow of death, saw the Light of the world when He was born as a baby. Just as those in the valley of the shadow of death saw the Light of the world, we too await His return to establish the light of His perfect kingdom here on earth. We await the time of peace with no end, where justice and righteousness will be upheld forever. Lord, thank You for glimpses of what's to come all over the pages of Scripture. Thank You that You haven't left us to complete confusion but have given us concrete things we can expect from You. As You say we will, we see You as the Wonder-full (wonderful in v.6 is a noun, speaking of His person and work), the Wisdom Giver (Counselor), the Omnipotent God with supreme rule (Mighty God), the Father and Source of Eternity (Everlasting), the loving and tender and compassionate instructor, trainer, and provider (Father), and the One who will at last bring peace to this world (Prince of Peace).

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Judges 8:1-3 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian? And they criticized him sharply. But he answered them, What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you? At this, their resentment against him subsided. (Judges 8:1-3) Sometimes other people get the opportunities you desire, even when your motives are good and you truly desire to please the Lord. Someone else may get what you hope for. Have you been there? I have, just last night. And that makes these few verses a sweet little blessing. The Lord didn't ask the Ephraimites to fight the Midianites. He asked Gideon and 300 others. Why in the world would God not want (fill in the blank)? The reason He didn't ask the Ephraimites was for His glory. Sometimes the most glory means sitting on the bench. Yuck! Oh, how I hate sitting the bench. I am a please-give-me-a-thousand-things-to-do-andI-will-thrive kind of person. But make me sit on the bench, and my attitude goes down the tubes. The crazy thing is that these guys got to play the last inning. They got to be a part of the big comeback, the big win, but they forgot and pointed a disappointed finger at Gideon, as though it was his fault when it was God who limited them. Sometimes victory can inflate our view of ourselves: Look how we won. Why didn't you use us and all our incredibleness to begin with? If the Lord chose someone else over you for a task, can you be content with that and keep pursuing Him and stewarding your gifts the best you know how in other ways? Here is a cool picture of how a gentle answer turns away wrath. The Ephraimites were unjustly criticizing Gideon, and he responds with respect. Wow. Yet another fruit of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh, Lord, thank You for this glimpse that sometimes You wont choose us for a task. Help us be willing to let go. Empower us to submit to You and all you have even when it doesn't make sense. Lord, give us Your ability to give gentle answers.
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Judges 8:4-12 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. He said to the men of Succoth, "Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." But the officials of Succoth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?" Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers." From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had. So he said to the men of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower." Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsuspecting army. Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army. (Judges 8:4-12) Someone I highly respect once said to my husband, I don't like to be a part of losing battles. I was dumbstruck. I couldn't believe someone in a leadership position could choose not to do what was right because there was a high chance of failure. It made me so incredibly grateful to be married to a man who will do what is right no matter the cost or outcome. Someone who will do what is right, even if it hurts. These 300 men were like that. Although exhausted, they kept going. These guys were unstoppable. Even when the task at hand seemed ridiculous. Even when the others were mocking them. Even when no one would come to their aid because they didnt want to be part of a losing battle. What does it take to stop you? Do you do what is right even when failure is staring you in the face? Or would you be like the officials of Succoth? Though these officials failed them and they were left to fight again without food. God sustained them. His grace was sufficient. Those 300 men won a second battle fighting against 15,000 soldiers. They were exhausted and without food. But the Lord's grace truly

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was sufficient. Likewise, when God calls us to do something, He always makes a way for it to happen, even down to the tiniest details like physical energy. Nothing is impossible for God. What has He called you to today? Remember His grace will be sufficient for you.

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Judges 8:22-27 The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son and your grandson--because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian." But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels' necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. (Judges 8:22-27) Andrew Bonar wisely said, "Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle." Before and during the battle, fear and worry drive many to their knees in desperation for God to come through. After the battle is won, the felt need to trust the Lord is removed, and many return to life as it was before. That is why I find it so beautiful that the people who walk with the Lord in full dependence on Him continue to do so even when life is good and it seems like everything is in its place. Here, we see Gideon's sad end. In heaven, he cannot stand in agreement with Paul in saying he finished well. Instead, the last thing written about him is his act of disobedience and the impact it had on the entire nation. Oh, Lord, let it not be true of us! With Gideon, we have to come to terms with what Henry Cloud calls the Good/Bad Split the inability to avoid going to the extremes of something being all good or all bad. Its the inability to recognize that if someone messes up, that does not mean they are all bad. At the same time, when a person, place, organization, or ministry does something praiseworthy, that does not mean they/it is all good. I am so proud of Gideon when he says, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." Way to go, Gideon!

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He points to the Lord, reminding them it was God who brought the victory. How else could a 300-man army defeat 135,000 soldiers? Yet, its so easy to put more faith in humans than is deserved. But then right after saying this, Gideon makes an ephod. Instead of turning to the Lord and asking what he should do next and instead of calling the nation to repentance, Gideon takes matters into his own hands. Its so easy to think we can do the little things on our own while trusting God with the big and impossible. But we can neither please the Lord nor do anything eternal, apart from the Lord. We need His grace just as much in the small things He has called us to as the big things. Oh, the beauty of relying on the Lord in all things! So, in Gideon making this ephod, commentaries explain that we can't be sure of his motives (Isn't that like the Lord? Its a reminder that only the Lord searches the heart.) It could have been from a pure heart, wanting to give direction to the people, which is the purpose of an ephod. Or, it could have been out of insecurity and not feeling worthy. Or, it could have been out of fear or control or the desire for power. We don't know. But the same term used for the word ephod is also used for an idol. So it could be that Gideon took the gold earrings and made an idol. Either way, Gideon was disobedient to the Lord by making it. Warren Wiersbe says: "If the ephod was indeed a copy of the high priests garment, then Gideon was definitely out of God's will in duplicating it and using it, because Gideon wasn't a priest. If it was a standing idol, Gideon was disobeying God's law (Ex. 20:4-6) and corrupting the people as well." When we look to other things instead of the Lord for security, it doesn't turn out well for anyone. Gideon didn't find security in the ephod, and the people didn't find security in Gideon. Oh, Lord, help us look to You and You alone to find security. Please show us where we are looking to other things. Warren Wiersbe also says: "Gideon probably thought that his children were well provided for, but just the opposite proved true. Sixty-nine of his seventy sons were killed by their half-brother who himself was slain by a woman dropping a stone on his head. There is no security apart from the will of God. Had Gideon practiced Matthew 6:33, subsequent events might have been radically different."

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Don't you want to finish well? I do! Lets rely on the Lord in the easy and hard times. Lets continually look to Him as our security, as our strong tower. Do you want what is best for your kids? Of course you do! Just remember that ease, comfort, money, and a good job are not really what they need to have a good life. A relationship with the Lord, where they consistently turn to Him and rely on Him, is the thing they need. May the Lord re-order our priorities and hopes for our kids to match His.

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Judges 8:28-35 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years. Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. They also failed to show kindness to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for them. (Judges 8:28-35) The other day, while walking to the backdoor of my house, I thought of the previous owners. Our house is eighty years old and has had five owners, one of which was a member of the mafia. The couple who owned it before us, however, was a sweet couple who had a prayer meeting every week for twenty-one years. When it came time to sell, they prayed for someone to use it for ministry since they had dedicated it to the Lord. How incredible is that? God led us to move for the very purpose of being able to be closer to campus and use our house more for ministry. So I thought of all the owners before us and then wondered who the owners would be after us. It sure put things in perspective for me. Our time here on earth is just a speck of dust. In fact, God says the nations and all the people who have ever lived are like a drop in a bucket and are considered like dust on a scale (Isaiah 40:15). All seven billion of us and all the generations of the entire world before us are like a drop in a bucket. But to think that during Gideon's life there was peace for forty years is pretty awesome. (If that was said of my lifetime, that would be pretty cool). But it's sad the time of peace during Gideons lifetime ended there. I don't want the blessing of God to die with me; I want to leave a legacy that multiplies for God's glory and the expansion of His kingdom. But to do that takes intentionality, something it seems Gideon lacked.

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Scholars say that although Gideon told the people he wouldn't be their king, he acted like one. He took many wives, even a concubine from the Canaanites. He had seventy sons and even named one of them Abimelek, which means my father is king. (Its no wonder Mr. Entitled flips out in the next chapter.) What would have become of the people if Gideon had been more concerned with helping them walk with God instead of acquiring things fit for a king? What would have happened if he had taught his kids to love and serve the Lord? When we take our attention off the Lord and become fixed on other things, we end up giving ourselves over to it. Its no wonder God tells us to guard our hearts, for it directs the course of our lives. After Gideon died, the people forgot the Lord and prostituted themselves. Its so sad. And it begs us to reflect: Are you depending on a person to keep you walking with the Lord, or are you depending on Him? How would you know if you were living as though you had forgotten the Lord? Are you living as though your time on earth is limited, and are you investing in the lives of others for God's glory? If not, what's keeping you from doing so? What would it look like to be intentional about reminding those around you about the Lord? Oh, Lord, we want to invest well in this life You've given us. We recognize we are but a drop in the bucket and our time is limited. Would You train us to become incredible stewards who are a blessing to You? And would You enable us to do what is impossible for us to do on our own strength? Please use us to point people to You, to be a reminder to people of You, all of our days. Lord, would You show us who to invest in to be a reminder to those who come after us? Lord, it really is just incredible to think that You were just as real and present and involved with all the generations before us as You are today. Wow, God. You are a wow.

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Judges 9:1-6 Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan, "Ask all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood." When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, "He is related to us." They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers. He went to his father's home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of JerubBaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king. (Judges 9:1-6) If someone had just killed all seventy of his brothers, would you vote him in as your president? Of course not! But that is because I said it like that. All it takes is a little repackaging to make ideas easier to justify. Abimelek said there were two options. To have 69 kings over them or to have him, their own flesh and blood. He left out the best option, which was the only option Gideon, his father, made available to the peoplethe option of letting God be their King. Okay, seriously, since when does a kingdom have 69 kings? Well, Abimelek deceived the people into thinking he was their only hope, so much so, that they gave him money. People must really believe in something or want it badly enough to give their money for it. For instance, have you ever given to an election, someone running for president? If so, why? Because you believed in them and what they could bring to the table. Abimelek kills his own brothers, and the people still crown him king. How crazy! But when someone you deeply believe in does something wrong, it is easy to justify that what they did was what had to happen, or was not really that bad. Its a good thing the Lord cannot be deceived and is the One who sees. There is so much hope and freedom found in that truth. He sees and wont be deceived. And He is our Hope, the One worthy of our full trust and reliance.

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Oh, Lord, convict us when we look to others when we should be looking to You. Help us keep our hearts fixed on You, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Help us not to condone what You call sin. Help us not to justify the people we look up to. Give us eyes to see like You do. Give us wisdom and discernment and use us for Your glory on earth. You are the King; help us live that way.

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Judges 9:7 When Jotham was told about this, he climbed on top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. (Judges 9:7) Enter Jotham. The same fearful Jotham who hid from Ambimelek during the slaughter of his brothers. Yet, here he is shouting the truth to the people who stood guilty before God. Fearful yet courageous. He was moved to action so God would listen to the people. He was moved to action because of his love for the Lord. He was a true example of "those who know the Lord will display strength and take action" (Daniel 11:32). Just as soon as Jotham enters the picture and shares his little correction speech, he disappears from the pages of Scripture. But I wonder about his life. He grew up living the life of a prince, probably having whatever he wanted. And since he was the youngest, he probably got away with a lot. I can imagine him running around and having fun with his brothers. I imagine some of them were his best friends. I imagine him wrestling with his brothers and getting into trouble together. Then his dad dies and all his brothers are killed, and he runs away out of fear for his life. He loses everything and heads off to a new land where he knows no one and has no one. He had it all and lost it. Yet, his name means Yahweh is perfect. What a good reminder. People aren't perfect and never will be. Life may not turn out the way we hoped and dreamed. And even though people and circumstances will never be perfect, Jesus is. Even though life got turned upside down for Jotham, the Lord was still with him. The perfect One was still with him and probably did some cool things in and through him that we will get to hear about in heaven.

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Judges 9:16-20 Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerub-Baal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved -- for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; but you have risen against my father's house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your relative -- if then you have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and Beth-millo ; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech." (Judges 9:16-20) My van got towed the other day, and I totally deserved it. There were signs everywhere, but I didn't bother noticing them. This incident caused me to see that putting up warning signs is like a reflection of God's heart. When there is something dangerous ahead or something that has a negative consequence, He lets us know about it. Things like nagging that drives people to want to live on the corner of a rooftop. Or, if you twist someone's nose, it bleeds. But also serious stuff like if you don't turn to Jesus and trust Him with your life, you will go to hell. God uses Jotham to give a serious warning about what is to come if they make Abimelek king. There will be a civil war between Abimelek and the people. But just as I chose to ignore the signs about not leaving the premises or my car would be towed, so the people ignored God's warning through Jotham. It is like this video where Joshua Bell where one of the most incredible musicians in the world played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Yet, most of those passing by did not notice the gift in front of them. Just as Joshua Bell was playing this song, the Lord is revealing His heart and character to us all over the place. Are we noticing? Or, are we like those people who are only seeing and hearing what they want to?

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Oh, Lord, we can get such tunnel vision sometimes. You tell us Your "invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature" are right in front of us. Please help us see and understand. Give us a glimpse of Your glory, not only through Your incredible Word, but also as we go about our day. Show us Your glory, Lord.

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Judges 9:22-23 Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. Then God sent an evil spirit to cause problems between Abimelech and citizens of Shechem. So citizens of Shechem turned against Abimelech. (Judges 9:22-23) What an incredible rescuer the Lord is. We so often put our hope in other things, yet He steps in, showing their unworthinesslike a boy in love, showing he is the strongest. Just like Gomer pursuing his unfaithful wife, God pursues us. God's pursuing heart is so evident when He stirs up trouble between Abimelech and the people. He shows them that Abimelech is not worthy of their hope and reliance. They finally realize he is not all they dreamed he would be and are in a prime spot to look to the Lord. But later in the chapter, we see they don't follow through. Instead, they look to another. But God's unending pursuing grace is not exhausted. He pursues. I find so much hope in the reality that when my flesh looks to other things to find what only the Lord can give, when I rely on other things instead of the Lord, He will frustrate my plans and help me see they are not worthy. What love. He will never stop showing how much greater and stronger and more worthy He is than whatever else we are trusting in. I long for the day when I will always look to Him, always rely on Him. Of course, that will be a perfect day in heaven when all is well and as it should be. But until then, Lord, please help us rely on You and put our full confidence and hope in You. Lord, when we are looking to something other than You, will You help us see? Thank You for not ever abandoning us, for loving us and pursuing us, even though we aren't the perfect image-bearers You deserve. Yet, even in that, Your grace is seen. Lord, You are pretty amazing!

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Judges 9:24 God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. (Judges 9:24) During specific times in my life, I have felt so broken and discouraged, yet God always encouraged me in ways I never dreamed possible. One such time was when I was in college. I was going through one of the hardest times in my life. I was on student staff with Young Life and was at a retreat. I really needed to hear from the Lord about something specific, and deep down, I thought: I wish the speaker would talk about this. That night, as if God came to me with a giant bouquet of red roses, the speaker said, "I had something prepared to share, but this afternoon the Lord showed me that I need to talk about something different." He then went on to say things that felt as though I was the only person in the room and the Lord was talking directly to me. I was crying uncontrollably and had snot streaming from my nose. Not a pretty sight. I was so overwhelmed with the Lord's grace and goodness. Yesterday was another time like this. Not quite as dramatic and in need of tissue though. Thank goodness! But the Lord used my pastor to remind me of the truth I was having a hard time remembering. It's like this: The Lord has always used me to take the initiative. I am not usually the one picked to do something, and most of my life I have been disregarded for one reason or another. Over the span of my thirty-four years, I have learned that I am a steward and need to take the initiative to use/invest what the Lord has given me, and not sit back and wait for someone to ask me. Can I just say that really stinks? It is so much easier to sit back, and there is a lot of validation that comes from being sought after. So I have a lot on my plate right now, and having a three kids under the age of four compounds the feelings of a lot. I began to doubt if this whole take-the-initiative-to-invest thing really was right. I wondered, "Am I manipulating God?" We prayed for two years for our little Asher, but did I talk God into this plan for my life? But the Lord, as He is so gracious in doing, used Austin and my pastor to remind me what is true: No plan of Gods can be thwarted (Job 42:2). I can't control or manipulate God. I know that sounds silly, but there is so much freedom in

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that! I can't talk God into giving me a stone instead of a fish. I can't talk Him into giving me something bad for me. Thank You, Lord! God's Word is so incredible! I can see it as the weapon that destroyed the arrows of the enemy in my life this weekend. So here we are. God did this. And He does things how He sees fit. He is powerful and omniscient. It's like a beautiful dance of intentionally following. I love to dance. And when I first learned to dance with a partner, the guy who taught me said, "For a girl, a good dancer is one who can follow." It took a while to learn how to follow. I had to be intentional to follow. Just like with the Lord, to be intentional about obeying and stewarding what He has given me (even when it would be easier to sit back and wait for things to come to me, to sit back and wait to be asked). So here I am, in this beautiful dance with the Lord, renewed by the Word of God. I am remembering that God did this. He is the One whose plans can't be thwarted, and I will give my all to give my all. This story is pretty different than the verse, but its related in the way that we so often see God differently than the reality of who He is. In these last couple of verses in Judges 9, the Lord shows Himself as an avenging God. Perhaps a different side of God than we like to see. Or, perhaps a side of God we don't believe exists. Oh, Lord, please keep giving us a proper view of who You are. Where we are believing lies raised up against the knowledge of You, please expose them and replace them.

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Judges 9:26-33 Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech. Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son, and isn't Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech? If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, 'Call out your whole army!' When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever your hand finds to do." (Judges 9:26-33) God built us to rely on, to look to, to put our full confidence in Him. And He is always faithful to do what is in our best interest. By putting our full confidence in Him and relying on Him, we get to experience His faithfulness. He is the One who cannot and will not ever forsake us. But sin entered the picture, which was allowed by God to make way for Him to show Himself as Rescuer, Redeemer, and Restorer. Yet, our natural tendency is to idolize and put our full devotion, confidence, and hope in the people He created. The Israelites first thought Abimelek was the greatest guy ever, the one who was going to be for them. Then their hopes were dashed, and right away, they found another to lift up in his place. Enter Gaal. What is in our hearts comes out of our mouths, and that is clearly seen here. While they were eating and drinking and going about the normal course of life, they started dishonoring their authority, which never ever works out well. An entire book could be written about dishonor and the effects of it, as well as the beautiful fruit of honoring each other, especially those in authorities. I have been a missionary to college students for eleven years now, and twice I have seen ministries almost completely fall apart because of dishonorbecause of gossip and talking down about people, especially those in leadership. It is an ugly, ugly thing. And right here in Scripture we are seeing it unfold. Nothing ever

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good comes from gossip. Zebul heard the rumors and got angry, which led to him telling Abimelek and sharing with him how he should respond. The snowball starts with the ignition of a word. But in contrast the Lord speaks highly of people, even people who don't deserve it. Like the sinner who poured oil on his feet and washed them with her tears. A sinner who deserved no honor, Jesus thought was worthy to praise and speak highly of in front of a crowd of "important" people. Jesus honored the faith of the bleeding woman. Jesus bragged about people. How crazy is that? Surely if the King of the Universe can speak highly of people, so can we, even if we don't agree with everything about them or the way they do things. Oh, Lord, thank You for rescuing us from our idolatrous hearts. Thank You for enabling us to trust and rely on You more than people. Thank You for honoring people, for thinking so highly of us. Oh, Lord make us more like You. Help us become people who honor others, especially those You have put in charge over us. We love You.

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Judges 9:33-57 In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can." So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains." But Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men." Gaal spoke again and said, "Behold, people are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one company comes by the way of the diviners' oak." Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your boasting now with which you said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!" So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. Then Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem. Now it came about the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was told to Abimelech. So he took his people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and saw the people coming out from the city, he arose against them and slew them. Then Abimelech and the company who was with him dashed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the other two companies then dashed against all who were in the field and slew them. Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt. When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith. It was told to Abimelech that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder.

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Then he said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise." All the people also cut down each one his branch and followed Abimelech, and put them on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women. Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, 'A woman slew him.'" So the young man pierced him through, and he died. When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home. Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerub-Baal came upon them. (Judges 9:33-57) This story is just plain awful. Awful. A king murders his own people. A king lights his own people on fire because they dishonored him with their words. Awful. It reminds me of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge. Two million people were killed by their own government in three years. They killed all the educated and religious. This is known as the killing fields. When I say "they," I mean the government had the kids kill their own parents. They put many people in death camps and had little 9-year-olds torture them. Those kids are the parents of little ones today, which is why the most horrifying things you can ever imagine happen there. The vast majority of parents sell their daughters, even as young as four, for sex any given night to pay their gambling debt or pay for alcohol. Awful. Sin has horrendous effects. For Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, thirty-five years and counting. I found a newspaper hidden behind a mirror of the dresser that was handed down to us. The newspaper was written in 1976 about the rise of the government that would kill its own people. After witnessing firsthand the horrifying things that happen in Cambodia today, as a result of this one event, I wonder how things might have been different knowing what we know now. Would anyone have stepped in and stopped the Khmer Rouge before they destroyed their country?
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The essence of the gospel is that we, as the human race and as individuals, are far worse than we dare imagine, and Jesus' forgiveness is far deeper than we are able to imagine. Having held those little girls who are sold at night, having hugged them and smiled at them and sung to them, I felt the pain of sin in Cambodia from the hand of the government. Yet, I also witnessed that even in the midst of evil, God was there. God's presence, the fullness of who He is, was presentpursuing hearts, comforting them, and reminding them of truth. The essence of the gospel is that we cannot go so far that God cannot reach us. The effects and scars that Abimelek left on the Israelites are undeniable. Yet, we serve a redeeming God. Sin brings pain. But the Lord brings joy in the morning. This life is short, like a vapor. Pain for the believer will end. Sorrow will only last for a night for those who trust in Christ. Thank You, Lord! Thank You that You make all things new. Thank You that You showed me firsthand that You are fully there in Cambodia ministering to the hopeless and helpless. Thank You for AIM (Agape International Missions) ministering to these sweet tiny girls. Oh, Lord, give them strength and perseverance. Let them see You continue to rescue and restore these girls. Oh, Lord, keep us from temptation for the effects of sin are far-reaching. Help us cling to Your strength and ability to live this Christian life. Oh, Lord, let our short vapor of years not be wasted but used to the greatest effectiveness for Your glory and the furtherance of Your kingdom.

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Judges 10:1-5 After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. He led Israel twentythree years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir. He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair. When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon. (Judges 10:1-5) Normally in Scripture, the Holy Spirit leads the writer to introduce someone by their father. Son of _____. But I find it interesting that Tola is introduced by his grandpa. Here's my speculation: In Scripture, peoples names offer a glimpse into their character. Tola means worm. Poor guy! But his dad's name, Puah, means splendid. His grandpa's name, Dodo, means loving. So perhaps the Holy Spirit led the writer to include he names of both his dad and grandpa to give some credibility to this guy. His name obviously wouldnt give him any. Anyway, there is not a lot mentioned about Tola. He led Israel for twenty-three years and then died. Wow, that puts life into perspective. We do what we do and then we die. This is pretty much a reality check to make these short years we have on planet earth count. And then we move on to Jair. Honestly, I find it kind of sad that the only thing mentioned about this guy is his money. You get the sense he was a taker, living for his own pleasure of acquiring. I definitely don't want the only thing said about me to be about how much I acquired materially. I want no one in my life to doubt that I love Jesus and want all of me to be for all of Him. When I die, I want others to talk about how much I desired my life to glorify God and wanted to help others do the same. I want them to say they grew to love Jesus more because of my life. I don't want them to talk about how I had a van, a computer, a cool house, and kids who had light up shoes. What about you? What do you want people to say about you when you die? Would they say it now if you died tonight?

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Judges 10:6-8 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him, he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. (Judges 10:6-8) I would love to skip over this part: The Lord became angry and sold them so they would be crushed and shattered. Ugh! Seriously, who likes to think about the anger of God? But unless we face the reality of God's holiness, the cross is foolishness. John Piper says, "We will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our sin and the justice and wrath against us." Here we see God angry. Angry at idolatry. Angry at sin. My anger is very different than God's. My anger is mostly selfish. I get angry because I don't get my way or my expectations aren't met or I'm not treated the way I think I "deserve." But Gods anger is holy because the ultimate best is not happening. But instead of simmering in his anger, He deals with it. He experienced is own wrath on our behalf. And it's through His wrath bestowed on the Sacrificial Lamb that we have the opportunity to experience life! Isn't it incredible that God's anger can lead to something so beautiful? I am pretty sure I have never bragged about the anger of God before. But it's appropriate because if God is unjust, what is there to brag about? So many of His other attributes would be nullified. If He wasn't just, how could He be a loving God, doing what's in the best interest of others? If He wasn't just, He would not be faithful, for faithfulness is willing to stick it out even when it's hard. Someone who is unjust would quit. While it might be one of the hardest things to adore God for, I praise Him for His anger. Oh, Lord, thank You for the cross! Thank You for taking the Fathers wrath. Thank You for being both just and the Justifier! Thank You that when we submit our lives to You and receive Your forgiveness, we are free from condemnation, free from Your wrath. What an undeserved gift!
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Judges 10:9-18 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals." The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer. When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, "Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all those living in Gilead." (Judges 10:9-18) There are so many examples in Scripture of people who say they're sorry. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul spared the Amalekites sheep and cattle, as well as King Agag. But he justified himself and claimed he did nothing wrong. But after Samuel showed him how he had disobeyed the Lord, Saul then turned the finger on the soldiers saying, It's their fault! But Samuel corrected him again, and Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel." This is a clear case of saying I'm sorry just so you don't experience the consequences of your sin. And this is not genuine repentance. The Israelites said they were sorry like Saul did. It was lip service because they were scared of the consequences. They were sorrier they wouldn't experience the blessing of God than they were sorrowful for their sin. This false repentance comes from a low view of God. It is the fruit of a God-exists-to-serve-me mentality. I love God's response: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble! I love how He can't be tricked. He knows our hearts.

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But when their actions met their words, God was pleased and could not bear their misery any longer. True repentance, a change of heart leading to a change of action, moves the heart of God. How crazy is that? It moves the heart of God. If you've ever wondered what causes God to act, what motivates Him to action, here it is. It's what He finds irresistible. It's what He deeply and passionately loves. It's what He finds beautiful. And we, His creation have the opportunity to give it to Him. Wow! Oh, Lord, I know You have forgiven all my sinpast, present, and futurethe moment I surrendered my life to You. Thank You that our relationship can never be broken. Thank You that You sealed me with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of my inheritance. But, Lord, I also know that when I sin, it breaks my fellowship with You. I am sure that I often pay You lip service in saying I'm sorry, or I try to justify and point the finger at someone else. Oh, Lord, please convict me when I need convicting and help me live a life of true repentance that I might be a fragrant offering that is pleasing in Your sight.

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Judges 11:1-3 Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family," they said, "because you are the son of another woman." So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him." (Judges 11:1-3) So, you know how there are those people who are really good with faces? Or, those people who are really good with names? Or those people who are really good with remembering every detail about everything? Well, I'm not any of those. Usually, when I think I may recognize someone, I have learned that its because I have had an in-depth conversation with them. It's embarrassing. Or with movies, I can watch an entire movie twice (sometimes three times) without realizing I have seen it, until someone tells me they saw it with me. Sometimes I even have to ask other people to remind me about events in my life. Yikes! Seriously, how can my memory be so bad? I have some theories. I think the most likely theory is the time I was given laughing gas to have my tooth pulled as a kid and they didn't give me enough oxygen. They put the mask on, and it felt like someone was putting their hand over my mouth and nose. I couldn't breathe. After that time, I had three episodes (just a few months later) where I honestly couldn't tell if I was in a dream or reality. But whatever happened to make my ability of recognizing people/movies/names/events disappear (or never appear in the first place) is a hard blow. Jephthah was dealt a hard blow. His parents' sin, until this point, defined his life. Though his brothers and society defined him by his parents sin, God didn't. He led the writer of Judges to define him as a "Mighty Warrior." Wow! God sure doesn't see us as the world sees us. Like Joseph and David and Esther and many others, God uses the hard blow to show Himself to be great. It's like 2 Corinthians 12:9 says:

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My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. My awful memory is the very thing God turned into something to show what He is capable of. He took me, a girl who lacks memory ability, and enabled me to memorize James, Philippians, and half of 1 Thessalonians and hundreds of other verses. That is how capable God is! We serve a God who takes the broken things of this world, the broken parts of us and our history and families, and He uses them to show Himself to be great.

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Judges 11:4-11 Some time later, when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. "Come," they said, "be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites." Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now, when you're in trouble?" The elders of Gilead said to him, "Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be our head over all who live in Gilead." Jephthah answered, "Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me -will I really be your head?" The elders of Gilead replied, "The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say." So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah. (Judges 11:4-11) I imagine you have been hurt by someone. I think we all have. How did you respond? Did you lash out in anger? Did you retreat? Did you respond with maturity and communicate? Perhaps you've done all three of these at some point in different situations. Being hurt by someone and then having the Lord ask you to serve that person wholeheartedly is hard. I imagine it's a task not many follow the Lord into. But Jephthah did, and he was commended for his faith in Hebrews 11 around 1,000 years later. Wow! That blows my mind! This guy is bragged about 1,000 years after he trusted God in this situation. That is like thirty great grandmas later. This brings the faith of the mustard seed parable to light. Its the tiniest of all mustard seeds, yet it produces a resourceful tree that is huge. Jephthah stepped out and trusted the Lord in this tiny little area of being willing to serve the people who rejected him, and the fruit of his obedience is still being born today as a result of his little seed of faith. God's way is better than our way. His way produces fruit for more than 1,000 years. Our way apart from Christ leads to death. Lets trust Him today. Lets resolve to choose His way, even if it means doing something hard or something we don't really want to do.

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Lord, You are pretty amazing! Thank you for having the writer of Hebrews mention Jephthah in Hebrews 1,000 years after he died. Thank You for all the perspective and encouragement You give us through Your word. You're awesome!

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Judges 11:12-28 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, "What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?" The king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan; therefore, return them peaceably now." But Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon, and they said to him, "Thus says Jephthah, 'Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon. For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Please let us pass through your land, but the king of Edom would not listen. And they also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 'And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land to our place." 'But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people and camped in Jahaz and fought with Israel. 'The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 'So they possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness as far as the Jordan. 'Since now the LORD, the God of Israel, drove out the Amorites from before His people Israel, are you then to possess it? 'Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess ? So whatever the LORD our God has driven out before us, we will possess it. 'Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive with Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 'While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the

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Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 'I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.' "But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him. (Judges 11:12-28) This passage shows us that Jephthah's first action was to send messengers to the king of Ammon to ask him to explain why he was doing what he was doing. The king responded by saying Israel had stolen the land 300 years prior. Jephthah then gives it to him straight. He tells him they had not stolen the land; they had captured it, which the Lord helped them do. And then he questions why they waited 300 years and brings it back to the reality that he is fighting against the Lord. Diplomacy failed and Jephthah prepares for battle. He went to great lengths to communicate, which reminds me of God. He's such a gentle truth speaker. Yet, He doesn't get walked all over. God was continually telling the Israelites to turn to Him and forsake other gods, but when they wouldn't budge, disciplinary action was required. To communicate displays God's heart and character to the people around us. This is when we get to the bottom of things, without making assumptions, and we ask questions. When we share our thoughts, feelings, wants, and actions, it clears away misconceptions and makes a way for truth. Are there people in your life you need to pursue having a conversation with? If so, spend some time thinking through the main issue: what you saw, how you felt, what you thought, and what youd like to see happen in the future. Spend some time praying for the person and the situation and then initiate setting up a time to talk with them.

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Judges 11:28-40 The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry." "You may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite custom that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. (Judges 11:28-40) Through Jephthah's Eyes: "Jephthah's vow was really a bargain with the Lord: If God would give the Israelites victory over the Ammonites, Jephthah would sacrifice to the Lord whatever came out of his house when he arrived home in Mizpah." The Wiersbe Bible Commentary We often forget that it's not all about us. It is so easy to think our desires are all about us. Jephthah did. He forgot God was actually the One who gave him the desire in the first place.

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And because he forgot that God was already doing His thing, he bargained with God, thinking God needed more of an incentive to pull off a win. It may sound like he offers his daughter as a human sacrifice, but here's what The Wiersbe Bible Commentary says: "More than one expositor has pointed out that the little word and in the phrase "and I will offer it up" (11:31) can be translated "or." (In the Hebrew, it's the letter waw, which usually means and.) If we take this approach, then the vow was twofold: Whatever met him when he returned home would be dedicated to the Lord (if a person) or sacrificed to the Lord (if an animal). Nowhere in the text are we told that Jephthah actually killed his daughter, nor do we find anybody bewailing the girl's death. The emphasis in Judges 11:37-40 is the fact that she remained a virgin. Basically, God is already working, and we show up on the scene and try to control Him. God is in need of nothing, and He desires to tell us what to do, not the other way around. Through the Eyes of Dancing Daughter: I just wish I knew her name. She wows me. She comes out to meet her dad, dancing in victory for his great win. Austin and I (lots of you probably know) are missionaries to college students. I long for the day our kids rejoice with us in the victories of God winning over students' hearts. It would be incredible to see them physically get excited about something God did. So beautiful! And then her dreams are crushed, her hope of ever getting married or having kids are robbed from her through a foolish, rash decision. I have to ask myself, "Would I be as quick to submit my "rights" because of the foolishness of another?" She is an example of a beautifully meek (strength under control) lady. Oh the beauty of bridled strength! For Us Today: 1. Remember that God is already working, and when He lets us be part of what He is doing, it's not so we can come in and do it our way. 2. God uses awful situations to train us for the works He has prepared for us to His glory. 3. It's honorable to value other people's word as much as our own and help them keep it. 4. With our God-given authorities in life, like marriage, we need to be willing to submit our "rights," even to our own hurt. 5. We are desperate for the Lord's strength to live this life so we don't make rash, foolish decisions, hurting those we love. 6. Even in our failures, we can trust the Lord to not waste it.

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Judges 12:1 The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head." (Judges 12:1) Whatever you feed grows. It's like the analogy of a dog fight. One owner feeds his dog really well, while another owner treats his dog poorly and barely gives it enough food to survive. If the dogs were to get in a fight, which one would win? The one that was fed. The same goes with us. If we feed our spirit, we grow into maturity in Christ. If we feed our flesh, well, not such a pretty picture. Its crazy that the men of Ephraim want to burn Jephthah's house down! (Poor Jephthah. Hasn't he had enough of a bad hand dealt to him, only to be betrayed once again by the people who are supposed to side with him? It reminds me of another who was betrayed by a friend, a King who was tempted in every way like us, yet was without sin.) How in the world do people get to the point of being so nasty and awful? Well, here's a really embarrassing analogy. We had a family day at the children's museum over the weekend. It is an amazing place with a jungle room, fire truck, a pretend vet, a mini-grocery store, a bubble room, train room, and more. It's basically a kids dream. Well, on Friday it was packed, and Uriah, who is three and not great at staying in control of himself, hit a girl because she didn't share with him. It was totally uncalled for. He knows he is never supposed to hit girls. And I would have dealt with it properly, except I found out about it because the girls mom started yelling at Uriah. Hello, Mama Bear. I picked up Uriah (since he started balling his head off being yelled at by a stranger) and walked over to Austin. Okay, get ready for itthe feeding the flesh part. I was in control at that moment until I said, "That is crazy. You just can't do that." (I was talking about the yelling lady). There was something about saying it that caused my emotions to grow into a stronger belief. So then I said it again, feeding my flesh even more, "You just can't yell at someone else's kid." (This time with more sass and loud enough so she could overhear.) She overheard me and said with the same sass, "You got a problem?" Well, the flesh was fully fed, and right there in the children's museum, there was a yelling match in front of all the three-to-four-year-olds. Me! A missionary! I was yelling at this lady! How embarrassing!

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Austin stepped in with his wise self and recovered the situation. He talked with the lady and helped Uriah apologize. I can't remember being that embarrassed in a long time. So what's the point? Besides giving you an opportunity to feel good about yourself because you never got into a screaming match at a kids play area, this is what I believe happened with the Ephraim guys. They thought, "I can't believe he left us out." But instead of taking that thought captive, they fed it by continuing, "Yeah, what a jerk." And it grew. And grew. And grew. Until it, like all other sin, it gave birth to death. We don't have to look far to find nasty and awful. It's right in front of us, waiting to master us. Sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7b) My weekend was a good reminder to be on guard against not only the enemy, but my flesh desiring to have its way. Let's cling to Jesus and, before it's too late, call out to Him for help. Lets take every yucky thought captive.

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Judges 12:1-3 The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head. Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?" (Judges 12:1-3) This attitude is nothing new for the leaders of the tribe of Ephraim. They said almost exactly the same thing to Gideon a few chapters earlier: Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian? They criticized him sharply. But Gideon and Jephthah handled it two different ways. Gideon pacified the Ephraimites with flattery, "But he answered them, 'What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compare to you?' At this, their resentment against him subsided" (Judges 8:2-3). Gideon's flattery resulted in resentment subsiding. Jephthah's outcome resulted in war. Sometimes speaking the truth causes conflict. There was a time when Austin was Facebook friends with the president of the campus atheist club. In real life, this guy was super nice but online he was vicious. He would post incredibly offensive things on Austin's wall trying to rile him up. Austin would engage with him using it as an opportunity to share the gospel. Many times there would be 80 comments and everyone knew "Joel" as a result. Austin was always very respectful, yet he said it how it was. He didn't flatter Joel. It finally got to a point where Joel was calling me names and Austin de-friended him. Speaking the truth caused conflict, but many people got to see Austin's grace in contrast to a hating heart spewing slander at him. Many people got to read the gospel because of this conflict. God used it. We can choose to go through life speaking only half-truths in the hope that everyone will always like us. Or, we can speak the truth in love, which might hurt a little, but it will please the Lord. If we are trying to please men, we cannot be a servant of God (Galatians 1:10).

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Jephthah didn't say anything mean. He just told it how he saw it. But "when people are wrong and refuse to accept logical reasoning and confess their faults, they often turn to violence in order to protect their reputation. This is the cause of most family disagreements, church fights, and international conflicts." Wiersbe Bible Commentary Like Jephthah, when we step out to speak truth, even though it may hurt, God will come through somehow. And if things don't turn out the way we hope or expect, obeying God is always the best option.

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Judges 12:4-7 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh." The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.' If he said, Sibboleth because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time. Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in a town in Gilead. (Judges 12:4-7) What a sad thing that 42,000 men died because some guys called some other guys some names. "This type of infighting among the people of God is a distressing thing to see. The blood of the Ephraimites was now mingled with the blood of the Ammonites. Even the bright spots in Judges are smudged with calamity." Believers Bible Commentary But I take comfort in a couple of things. First, this was unlike the earlier time when God filled Jephthah with the Holy Spirit and led him into battle. God did not lead Jephthah into this battle. God never commanded Jephthah to kill his very own people. Its comforting to know that just because something bad happens, that doesn't mean God was the one who wanted it to happen. Second, even though Jephthah royally messed up, God still listed him in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11. It's comforting that faith, not perfection, is what pleases God. (Though perfection pleases Him too, we are incapable of it on our own. But by faith in Jesus' shed blood, we can receive Jesus' perfection to our account.) What a privilege to serve a God who never runs out of grace for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and are seen through His perfection!

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Judges 12:8-15 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. Then Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem. After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. Then Elon died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. Then Abdon son of Hillel died, and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. (Judges 12:8-15) Enter Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. Then, just as soon as they enter the scene, they exit. Not much is said about them. It's like a play where their part is a small one with no lines, and they are just in one scene. Why? Well, that is a question that can relate to most things in life. Why does God use certain people for certain tasks and not others? It's not because He needs them "as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else" (Acts 17:25). It's not because they deserve it either. Apart from Jesus we deserve death, not heavenly bliss. Basically, it's just not about us, and it's not about these guys. Just as a potter makes his pots for his own intention, so the Lord has intentions for us. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). He makes some to be seen by many, and others to be beautiful flowers on a mountainside seen by few. But in each He displays His glory. In each He finds delight. Ibzan and Abdon were each given different resources to invest. Ibzan was given daughters during a time when the culture was to arrange marriages for political gain. (Im so glad I wasn't born then.) Abdon was given incredible wealth, being able to buy his forty sons and thirty grandsons each a donkey which is compared to buying them each a Porsche today. Like Ibzan and Abdon, the Lord has also given each of us gifts to invest for His glory and the expansion of His kingdom. And even better, He didn't just give us stuff to steward and expect us to figure it all out perfectly on our own. He gaveto those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesusthe Holy Spirit to help us know how to best steward the

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gifts God has given us. Thank goodness! I don't know about you, but I sure make a lot of mistakes, and stewarding your entire life is kind of a big one to mess up. So lets praise the Lord today for His grace, not only for gifting each of us differently, but also for empowering us to use them rightly, for maximum glory for His name.

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Judges 13:1-3 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son." (Judges 13:1-3) Our two oldest boys are adopted. They both have incredible birth stories, and I think adoption is one of the greatest things. Austin and I had always wanted to adopt, but we wanted to wait until after we had some kids biologically and felt more like we knew what we were doing. But God had different plans. We tried for almost three years to have kids but couldn't. Not only that, but nobody could tell us why. Test after test would come back "normal." I must say the two-week cycle of wondering if were pregnant to having a big letdown, and then another two weeks of hope-building, just to get let down again was not the worst part. For me, the worst part was the "we don't know what's wrong." I felt that if someone could just tell us what was wrong, then we could move forward to fix it, or we would at least know to accept that we couldn't have kids. But nobody could tell us that. They all just said, "I don't know." Many times I said to Austin, "Honey, I'm so sorry. You married a dud." So when the angel of the Lord, a.k.a. Jesus, appears to Samson's mom and says, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son." That is so awesome! Have you ever experienced that? It's like when you are really upset and someone repeats back to you what you said: So you feel ____________. You could have said those exact words, but there is something about someone else saying it. They understand, and its like a surge of relief, "Yes! You get it. Yes! That is exactly how I feel!" How beautiful that Jesus knows and truly understands what we are going through. Its true when he says, "Come to me and I will give you rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28). When we take our hearts to Him, He knows, He understands, and we can find a surge of rest for our minds, will, and emotions (the things that make up our soul).

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I guess I better wrap up the infertility and adoption situation. God performed miraculous things to put Asher and Uriah into our familythe coolest birth stories ever. And it turns out that He really wanted them to be the oldest kids in our family. Because then, when we were in process of another adoption (an embryo adoption, which is very uncommon, and over 500,000 babies need adopting, so we wanted to be part of the solution) we got pregnant. Shock of all shocks! Austin actually made me take two pregnancy tests because he didn't think I did it right. After nine years of marriage, the Lord opened my womb. God brought our family together in the way He deemed best, and if He gives us more kids biologically, His grace will be sufficient. But our hearts are to adopt again in the future.

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Judges 13:4-5 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." (Judges 13:45) Not long ago I got to meet Pam Tebow. She is just plain awesome. It seems like all the things I am passionate about, she is too. Having the same deep values causes you to like someone, you know? I wish I could sit with her for hours with my notebook, firing question after question. Well, one thing she talked about was how she and her agreed that if the Lord gave them another son they would raise him to be a preacher. Now she laughs and says hes a preacher, just one they didn't expect. My dad calls Tim Tebow an urban missionary. I would love to know if they were as intentional with all their kids in career training as they were with Tim. Because when Scripture talks about raising a child in the way he should go, it is actually talking about a career. Now that can be stressful. How in the world are we supposed to know what the Lord is going to call our kids to when they grow up? It seems this could lead to controlling them and not letting them do what they think the Lord wants for them because we are so set on what we want them to become. If I had more time with Pam Tebow, who has five of her five children passionately serving the Lord, I would love to ask her about this. But I find it so interesting that God, who called Samson from birth (like us all), generously revealed her sons destiny to his mama. Why? Because she was to play a part in raising him up in the Nazarite vow. The Lord knew to speak to Samson's mama in a way she would hear and respond, in a way that would motivate her to raise him in the calling the Lord had on his life. Although I don't know what God has called my kids to do specifically, I can pray and trust the Lord to show me how to raise my little ones to walk with Him, love His Word, and depend on His strength and ability. Even from a young age, I can teach them how to focus on others and share their faith. And when they get older, I can teach them how to disciple those the Lord brings into their lives.

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While I don't know the how or the where for my kids callings, I do know the what, and I can be faithful like Samson's mama and train them in thatthe what of glorifying God and being about the expansion of His kingdom. Then, no matter the where, they will be able to contextualize the what to the where.

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Judges 13:6-8 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. But he said to me, 'You will conceive and give birth to a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth until the day of his death." Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born." (Judges 13:6-8) Imagine your husbands reaction if you said the following: This guy appeared to me; it was awesome! He told me that I would have a baby and I need to be on this strict diet because God has this awesome plan for my baby. But, um, I kind of forgot to ask this guy his name. And come to think of it, I don't really know where hes from either. What would your husband say? Really, stop and think about it. What would he say? Austin, being a pretty skeptical person, would patiently listen to me and then probably point out all the ways that what I was saying was off the rocker. I think most husbands would. Its shocking that Samson's dad first responded by turning to God in prayer and saying, "O, LORD, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born." What? He's already past the some-strange-guy-telling-his-wife-thatshes-going-to- get-pregnant part and on to the okay-but-how-do-we-raise-him part. So I have more questions than answers today. Does this speak more highly of Manoah, Samsons dad, and the faith he had in his wife? Or, does it speak more highly of Samson's mama and her trustworthiness that her husband had full confidence in her. Remember: At this time in history, even then the word of the Lord was rare (1 Samuel 3:1). If it does speak highly of Manoah's faith, why does he beg the Lord to send someone to tell them how to raise the baby in the Nazarite vow? Did he not trust God's Word to be enough or perhaps did he not have access to it? When there are more questions than answers, we are left with anticipation of the day when we will get to sit face to face with Jesus and Manoah and Samson's mama and hear them tell the story. That's going to be sweet! Oh, how incredible heaven is going to be!
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Judges 13:9 God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. (Judges 13:9) Is there someone in your life you have been praying for? Ive been praying for some people for over fifteen years. I care for them deeply and want them to know the Lord. But sometimes it feels impossible, as if they are beyond God's reach. But then I remember how God has answered so many prayers in the past. I prayed for fourteen years for my dad to know Christ, and God answered that prayer! I now have great conversations with my dad about the things God is challenging us to trust Him with. My dad is such an encouragement to me to continue to walk by faith. I had no idea God was going to allow me to have a dad who is an example of someone who actively trusts the Lord. My sister-in-law, Heather, prayed for Austin for years before he surrendered his life to Jesus. For a while there, she honestly thought he was a lost cause. He was heavily involved with the drug and party scene, and he thought he had it all. But his sister prayed for specific things, and God brought them into reality. She prayed that her brother would move across the street from a church, and he did. She prayed for someone to invite him to that church, and someone did. She prayed for someone in the church to invite him to get more involved, and someone did. Prayer after prayer was answered until he went to college, where a college missionary sat down with him over lunch and spelled out the gospel for him. He surrendered his life to Christ and was radically changed from the inside out. Later on, he became the worship leader at church. Heather went to visit Austin, and during the worship time, her face streamed with grateful tears. Her brother, who seemed beyond Gods reach, was leading worship right before her very eyes. God does the impossible! Manoah prayed, God answered. We also get to pray to a God who hears and responds. So if youve been praying for someone for a long time, don't give up. We serve a God who answers.

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Judges 13:10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, "Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me." (Judges 13:10) Okay, I'll bet this was so cute! I wish we knew how old Samson's mom was at this point, but since she couldn't have kids I'll bet she wasn't super young. Can you imagine this? Jesus shows up (which seems to keep happening in Judges) after Manoah prays for him to come back (not knowing it was Jesus). He appears again to her, and she excitedly runs off. I'll bet this brought a smile to his face. This reminds me of two other similar situations: 1. In Acts 12, we read about Peter being led out of prison by the angel. This is awesome because it was on the Jewish holiday of unleavened bread when they remember how God brought them out of slavery and here God is giving them a living analogy by bringing Peter out of prison. Isn't God amazing in His timing? So as Peter follows the angel to Mary's house, everyone is praying for him and sweet little Rhoda answers the door. Shes so shocked that she slams the door in his face and runs to tell everyone. (I wonder if Rhoda and Samson's mama ever compare running off stories and laughed about them in heaven?) 2. In Genesis 18, we read about a 99-year-old man running to serve Jesus, without knowing who He was. It sure seems like people do a whole lot of running around like crazy people when Jesus shows up. Well, when we see the Lord answer prayer, it causes a deep joy and excitement. What a gift that He lets us partner with Him in changing lives through prayer! So whatever the Lord has put on your heart to pray about, you just might be in the anticipation zone like Samson's mama and Rhoda. Continue going about daily life, doing what you do, and God will answer. You might as well enjoy the season of anticipating how God is going to show off.

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Judges 13:11-14 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, "Are you the one who talked to my wife?" "I am," he said. So Manoah asked him, "When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?" The angel of the LORD answered, "Your wife must do all that I have told her. She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her." (Judges 13:11-14) Don't you love how, in Manoah's mind, it wasn't a matter of if his wife would have a baby but when? When we take the Lord at His word, so much more can be accomplished because we are not wasting time talking through all the ifs. I love the patience of the Lord. Manoah asks Him what his kid is supposed to do. What is his job supposed to be? Even though that is the exact thing He already told Samson's mama. Yet, the Lord points to his wife and says what she is to do. The Lord gave her, a woman, a special part to play in this cool story. (I guess people who say the Bible devalues women haven't read this part.) The Lord points back to mama, and its obvious He is making sure Manoah understands that she has a very significant role to play in all of this. The Lord honors her in front of her man. How cool is that? What a joy to think the Lord honors usGod, the star-breathing Creator of the unseen atoms, the One who gives understanding to the mind, the One who honors and speaks highly of us, those in Christ. Wow! Oh, Lord, it is amazing that You, the One most worthy of honor gives it to those who were not worthy but who you made worthy. You are incredible! Oh, Lord, let Your glory, Your heart, and Your character be seen through us today by how we honor those You have put in our lives. Let us be people that brag about others behind their backs to the glory of Your name. Do this impossible-without-Your-Spirit thing through us. We are Yours, for Your pleasure. Willing and Available.

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Judges 13:12-14 Manoah said, "Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy's mode of life and his vocation?" So the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Let the woman pay attention to all that I said. "She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded." (Judges 13:12-14) Can you relate to Manoah? Do you ever wonder what your kids are going to do? Sometimes I think it would be easier if I knew exactly the strengths the Lord gave my kids and how exactly He wants them to use them for His glory. A few verses earlier, the Lord told Samsons parents that this baby would deliver them from the Philistines. Manoah must have felt some pressure of raising a deliverer. What kind of schooling does a future deliverer need anyway? Of course, Manoah was asking what his vocation should be. Would he deliver through teaching? Through the military? Through politics? I love how Jesus doesn't give him the answer but repeats what He has already said. This makes sense in verse 25 that says the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him. The Lord would shape Samson into a deliverer. How freeing! This helps me to trust Jesus with my kids. God's grace covers my inability to be a perfect parent. And its comforting to know the Lord can work in my kids hearts; He can bring change internally, where all I can do is bring external behavior modification. Oh, Lord, thank You that You are the changer of hearts. We have such high hopes and dreams for our kids. Please align our desires for them to Your desires for them. But most of all, Lord, do a mighty work in their hearts that they would walk with You closely. Help them be people who store up treasure in heaven and invest in eternity with how they are uniquely built. Oh, Lord, help us trust You with them and show us how to pray for them on a daily basis. Have Your way in our kiddos, Lord. This doesn't just apply to kids either. It can apply to anyone we hope to see God change, anyone the Lord has given us to shepherd. We can trust Him, Jesus, the changer of hearts.

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Judges 13:17-18 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?" He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding." (Judges 13:17-18) Your love colors the dawn, Your voice the power of thunder. Your hand the healer of the weak. Your love fills oceans and Your voice calms the seas and You created me. Your eyes are so amazing, so deep, like crashing waves on cloudy seas and these pounding waves they consume me. There is so much more to you. So much I do not know. So much love I have yet not encountered, so much you over flow. And just when I think I know your complexities, You step into the light. And just when I think I know Your voice, You open up my ears. It's like trying to know every single glowing star on a cloudless night. But Your depth and Your vastness keep me running after you.
Now & Forevermore * Shake Off the Dust

God is eternal. We could spend our entire lives and all of eternity learning about just one of God's attributes, like His goodness or love, and we would never arrive at knowing all there is to know about it. Amazing! The same is true with every single one of His attributesHis grace, patience, justice, power, and so forth. If we spent our entire lives making a list of all His characteristics, or spent all of eternity doing the same, we would never come to the end of the list. Incredible! So, of course, when Manoah asks the Lord (without knowing it was the Lord) what His name was, the Lordd says, it is beyond understanding. We will never know all there is to know about God. How humbling! Its humbling that we wont ever know it all and humbling that even what we do know was given to us by the Lord. He is the One who enables our minds to get a glimpse of Him. What a gift! The great I AM makes Himself known to the I am nots. Oh, Lord, there is so much more to You. So much we do not know. Thank you for the incredible privilege to know You, though not in full. Thank You for the opportunity to discover You and

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always get to have more and more "wow" moments. Thank You, Lord. Please help us not act as though we know it all, but re-ignite in us a passion to pursue You wholeheartedly. All of Creation reveals the glory of God, the character of God. And God's Word reveals the glory of God. Let us be people who see.

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Judges 13:19-25 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD. "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!" But his wife answered, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this." The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him, and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. (Judges 13:19-25) When we get a glimpse of the Lord, it changes us. Like Moses in Exodus 34, when the Lord revealed Himself to Moses as compassionate and gracious, Moses' immediate response was to bow in worship. It also moved him to pray for the people, and it changed him physically so the people couldn't even look at him because of the radiance of his face. The Lord also gave Isaiah a glimpse of His character, and Isaiah also bowed in worship (Isaiah 6). Then he was moved to tell people about the Lord. When people got a glimpse of Gods character, they were moved in humility to bow and honor and present themselves as servants to the Most High God. Today, God is revealing His character continually through His creation and through His Word. Lets take a cue from Moses, Isaiah, Manoah, and his wife to see the Lord and to submit to Him in worship. I think this will help.

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Lord! Star-breathing God of the Universe, You are AWESOME! You are so worthy, so powerful, and so creative. I can't believe we get to worship You, serve You, and approach You. Thank You for the cross, for making a way for us to stand innocent before You. We are people so far from perfect. But You turn broken into vessels of healing. You turn failures into freedom givers. You use us for eternal purposes and give us incredible gifts like love, joy, peace, and patience for the display of Your character. We are deserving of Your powerful and mighty wrath, yet You wrath-ed Yourself for us, to make a way for us to receive innocence before You. Wow! We submit to Yo,u Lord! Let us boldly proclaim the cross today!

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Judges 14:1-4 Do you know about whats going on in Cambodia? I believe it is the most evil place on earth. Parents sell their daughters for sex to foreign men every night. Svay Pak is where we took students for a mission trip. It is the most notorious city for the youngest girls. Girls as young as 3 years old are being sold by their parents. Awful. But God is there. All of Him. His grace, hope, love. He is there. He is rescuing, redeeming, and restoring. Story after story surprised me with hope, even in this devastating place. I met a lady who, twenty years ago, lived in Cambodia for three months. She said the evil that exists today didn't exist then. Does that shock you? It does me. Five years ago in Svay Pak, 90% of the girls were being sold to foreign men for sex. Agape International Missions went into this village, and the Lord used them to bring radical change. Now 50% of parents sell their children. There is still a ways to go, but its better than 90%. But to think that twenty years ago it didn't exist at all. How can a country, a culture, get to that place in just twenty years? (The history of Cambodia is sad. The Khmer Rouge came in and killed everyone, forcing kids to kill their parents. Now those kids are the parents of today.) This is a wake-up call for how far we can get from what God desires for us in so little time. There is a downward spiral effect to sin. James explains sin well. It starts as just a little flame but becomes a raging fire. And all sin begins with temptation. In Judges 14, we see Samson dive right in. Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.) (Judges 14:1-4)

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Samson went four miles into enemy territory. Why? Why would any of us willfully enter temptation? Marrying a Philistine lady was contrary to God's law (Ex.34:12-16; Dt. 7:1-3; 2 Cor. 6:1418). But he was head over heels for this girl and apparently feelings trump God's Word in his life. He wouldn't listen to godly advice and apparently was at the point that he didn't care what God thought. Have you been there? I have. Samson was living by sight not by faith, or should I say living by his emotions, controlled by the lust of the eyes, concerned only with getting what he wanted when he wanted it. Samson's sin doesn't mess up God's whole plan; he just doesn't get to have a fun role in all of it. When God isn't permitted to rule in our lives, He overrules and works out His will in spite of our decisions. Of course, we're the losers for rebelling against Him, but God will accomplish His purposes either with us or in spite of us. Samson should have been going to a war instead of to a wedding, but God used this event to give Samson occasion to attack the enemy. Because of this event, Samson killed thirty men, burned up the enemies crops, slaughtered a great number of Philistines, and slew 1,000 men." (Warren Wiersbe) So where are you today? Is there something you should be running from? Is there a place you shouldn't go? It will take you somewhere you wont want to go and make you someone you wont want to be. Run to Jesus instead.

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Judges 14:5-7 Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her. (Judges 14:5-7) I find it strange that Samson and his parents are all going to Timnah together, yet Mama and Papa don't know a lion tried to attack their son. They must have been separated. Perhaps going to the bathroom or something? But wouldn't that be kind of loud? I've never actually come in contact with a lion face to face or seen one attack a person, so I am not sure how loud it would be. But I am reminded that Satan is a lion wanting to devour, and just as this lion sought out Samson, Satan is seeking opportunity to attack each one of us. A sobering thought. But Gods grace is sufficient in the face of Satans attacks. Though at times we may be unaware of what is happening in our kids' hearts and lives, God is not, and He will provide for them what they need when they need it. But how in the world could Samson's parents not have known? Then again, things happen right under our noses all the time without us knowing. The control part of me really doesn't like that. Austin and I hear horrific stories all the time from students, and their parents have no idea of what has happened to them. Its terrifying to think about. But I can take comfort in the fact that God is there. The One who can actually do something about itheal, rescue, restore, bring truth, comfort, freedom and lifeHe is there. He knows. Okay, as if that wasn't weird enough, it gets really weird! Samson kills the lion with his hands. Picture that. Disgusting. I actually have no idea how you destroy a lion with your bare hands, but I imagine it's bloody. So picture Samson all bloody when he goes to talk to the girl he likes. I'm sure she fell head over heels. Poor girl. Wouldn't you love to see this

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played out in real life? I would! How in the world did she respond to a bloody Prince Charming? Through God's powerful Word, I am again driven to my knees to pray for my kids. I have a prayer journal for each of my kids that helps me spend a chunk of time praying for them on a regular basis. I rotate the journals and write a prayer entry every day for them. When they get older, I will give it to them.

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Judges 14:8-9 Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass. (Judges 14:8-9) Love chooses to do what's in the best interest of another. Isn't that contrary to everything the world shouts at us? I was on campus the other day waiting to meet some girls I disciple. At the table next to me, three people were talking about a relationship problem. One of the girls was having issues and wanted to talk to the person about it, so she was practicing what she would say with the other two. The two friends were very gracious and gentle. But not loving. This girl was digging a grave for this relationship by what she was saying. Basically, doing all the things you shouldn't do in communicating: Using "you" statements instead of "I." Using always and never. Blaming the other person. Assuming their motives. And not ever getting to the action-point of what you would like to see different. I was sitting one or two feet away. Do I say something? Do I step in and give a little training on how to communicate? But wouldn't that be awkward? I suppose if you were super tactful you could pull it off. But I'm not. Anyway, love says the hard thing, love does the uncomfortable thing. God says love is a choice, and feelings follow. God says love chooses patience, kindness, contentment, humility, honor, forgiveness, truth, protection, trust, hope, and perseverance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The opposite of love is self-pleasing, which is what Samson is an example of. Samson's Nazarite vow, given to him by God, said he was not to come in contact with anything dead. Yet, here he is scooping honey out of a dead animal. He put his own desires above choosing to do what's right, above obeying the Lord, and above love.

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So what do these verses show me about the Lord? That He is love. That He always has and always will choose to do what's in our best interest. Always. He will always choose to act patiently, kindly, humbly, and honestly because He sees me through the perfection of Christ. His great love for me and for You shows not how great we are, but how great He is.

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Judges 14:10-11 Now his father went down to see the woman. And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. When he appeared, he was given thirty companions. (Judges 14:10-11) In Samson's day it was customary for the father to make the arrangements for the marriage. Dad footed the bill for the several-days-long feast. Its a beautiful comparison to the Father making arrangements for our wedding feast of the Lamb. But I wonder what Manoah must have been thinking and feeling when going down with Samson? Celebrating and making arrangements to disobey the Lord doesn't come to mind. "Everything that is going on in this event is written in such a way that the average Hebrew reader would know exactly what was happening. You and I are not disgusted by what we are reading because we don't understand the middle eastern culture. But a Hebrew person would see this as something unthinkable. In fact, it would almost seem unnatural. The event itself is unnatural because a respectable Hebrew wouldn't be socializing with the Philistines let alone marrying one." Mike Nobis So it makes sense why Samson was given friends; his didn't go with him. And Im sure these thirty companions weren't there to support their buddy Sam. They were probably there to keep a close eye on him and get a free weeks' worth of food and alcohol. When I think of the Father making arrangements for us, I picture it being very different. I picture a Father filled with exuberant joy rather than sadness. And rather than strangers who we can't relate to, who have different values and belief systems, there will be a deep bond between all. Instead of celebrating over pleasures of the flesh, we will celebrate over the One truly worthy. The Lord is exuberantly joyful over you, over Your life, and over His plans for you. The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

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Why? Is it because we are so great? No, not really. It's because He is! It's because we are the means to show and tell the world how incredible He is. His plans for our lives are to make His name famous. That is what is worthy of exuberant joy. Not that we are so great, but that He is. He is able to take the unworthy and make them worthythe unholy made holy, the non-useful made useful, and a thousand other things all for the glory of His name.

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Judges 14:12-14 "Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to them. "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes." "Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it." He replied, "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet." For three days they could not give the answer. (Judges 14:12-14) I love foreshadowing, especially when I know what is being foreshadowed; otherwise, I'm oblivious and miss it. God didn't build my brain to work that way. In fact, unless someone asks me for something straight out, I don't catch what they are wanting from me. For instance, one of our students once told me how she hurt her arm and needed to go to the doctor. I felt badly for her and thought about how she would miss class. I wondered if she had insurance. But the thought of "I should take her to the doctor" never crossed my mind. Since I wasn't getting it, she said, "Can you take me?" After she asked me, the lights went on. And its the same with foreshadowing. I miss it until after the event that was foreshadowed. And that is why I think this is so cool! Check this out: They gambled for clothes. The number thirty. Something living, healthy, and life-giving came from death. There was confusion for three days. Could it be possible the God of heaven and earth, the Author of Life who knows the end from the beginning was foreshadowing the King of all Kings? Could it be possible He was hinting at His death and redemption to come? Through the death of Christ, we are given the opportunity for life, the opportunity to taste the sweetness of the land of milk and honey. At the death of Jesus, his clothes were gambled for, and Judas received thirty pieces of silver for his betrayal. For three days, there was confusion. The lion was killed by mankind, and that very death was the means whereby the most nourishment could come to the very mankind that killed it.

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So I think God loves His story. I think the cross is His favorite part. So here we have a glimpse of what God loves. The Cross. And not only the cross, but the life-giving sustenance it brings!

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Judges 14:15-18 On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, "Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father's household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?" Then Samson's wife threw herself on him, sobbing, "You hate me! You don't really love me. You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother," he replied, "so why should I explain it to you?" She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people. (Judges 14:15-18) Burn your parents house down over a riddle? Wow. These "friends" sound a little on the crazy side with major entitlement issues. I mean, seriously, would any of your friends ever say that to you? Well, I guess that shows they weren't really friends, but perhaps were there for the free food and drinks, and to keep an eye on Samson. But it makes you wonder why they felt the need to keep an eye on him. Why did they fear him? Was it because he was not a Philistine? Or because he was huge? Or was it because he showed up to propose with bloody arms and clothes? If you were a recently married Mrs. Samson, what would you do after being threatened like that? Without a doubt, I would try to coax my new I-barely-know-you husband into telling me the riddle in the hopes of saving my family. However, I'm pretty sure I would go about it differently. Why in the world did she not tell him, this giant of a man, that these guys threatened to kill her family? Without being clear about what's going on, her husband is going to be confused and defensive. If she hasnt even told her family, why in the world would she tell her husband? This whole scenario would turn out so much better if she just said, "They're going kill my dad if you don't tell me the riddle." The Holy Spirit would have stirred up Samson's anger, and she would have saved herself seven days of crying at her own wedding. (Of course, then it would have been a bloodbath instead. I guess when you do things your own way, instead of God's way, the outcome is never good.)

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Ever since Samson arrived on the scene, it seems like bad communication is a common theme. Because it happens again. Samson throws a fit and storms out of his own wedding festivities without communicating. And the new father-in-law assumes Samson left without taking his new bride, which means he doesnt want her. Last time I checked, making assumptions, especially of that magnitude, is never a good idea. A simple question could have cleared it up, "Hey, Samson (as he's huffing off), you still want your bride, right?" People will fail us, but God never will, and God is a perfect communicator. He always knows what to say and when to say it. He always has a perfect balance of grace and truth. And He never assumes because He already knows everything. Everything. Think about that for a second. He knew every tiny detail at Mr. and Mrs. Samson's wedding. He knew each of the guests and every feeling they ever feltevery fear, excitement, and hopeas well as every thought that ever crossed their minds. And Hes known every person in every generation since then too. He not only knows every person throughout all of time. He knows them deeply. He knows what makes them tick. And He knows every tiny thing about our universe. From the big to the small. What a great and mighty God! We are known. Really, He gets us. And He's not threatened by our strengths or caught off guard and worried about our weaknesses.

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Judges 14:19-20 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. And Samson's wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding. (Judges 14:19-20) Okay, get this! The Hebrew word came is tsaleach (tsaw-lay'-akh), and it means to push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive), to cause or make prosperous, or to send prosperity. When the Holy Spirit moved Samson to be the means God used to show His wrath, He gave him courage, which reminds me of a few other things. When God "hardened" Pharaoh's heart, a word similar to this one is used: chazaq, which means to embolden, or to motivate someone to do what's already in their heart. This word also reminds me of how the Holy Spirit gives us courage to be witnesses from our circle of influence to the farthest parts of the earth and everywhere in between. Its incredibly comforting to know that God gives courage. But like grace, He doesn't give it beforehand so we can store it up for later. He gives it right when we need it. So until we step out and do hard things by faith, we won't get to experience Him chazaq or tsaleach us. Friends, let's do hard things for Jesus to make His name famous.

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Judges 15:1-2 Later on, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said, "I'm going to my wife's room." But her father would not let him go in. "I was so sure you thoroughly hated her," he said, "that I gave her to your friend. Isn't her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead." (Judges 15:1-2) Samson comes back for his bride, but his father-in-law had given Samsons wife to someone else. He knows hes in trouble too. Have you ever been there? Have you ever done something you knew wasn't right, but you thought you could get away with it? Did you choose the most beneficial way for yourself, even though it meant breaking your word and losing integrity? Samson had already paid the bride-price, and after time passes, he return for his bride. His father-in-law is then caught and tries to make restitution by offering his youngest daughter. I can't help but think of Cambodia, where parents sell their daughters to strangers for sex to pay for their gambling and alcohol debts. Just as Samson returns for his bride, Jesus will return for us. Jesus, the bridegroom, has already paid the bride-price and will return for us. Will we be found like Samson's fatherin-law, living to get as much pleasure for ourselves at the expense of doing what's right? Or will we be found like a pure bride adorning herself, looking forward to His arrival? Jesus is coming, and His reward is with Him. There will literally be a day when we see Jesus coming to redeem and restorea real day when Jesus will come in the flesh for His bride. Hes a groom, ready for the big day, excited about His bride and the days ahead, excited to show her what He has prepared for her. The day will come, friends. Literally. But for now, if we don't have a clear picture of heaven, we'll have a distorted view of what it means to "fix your eyes on what's to come. How can we get excited to go somewhere if we don't have a clear picture of it? If we think heaven is going to be a bunch of nothingness, light, floating, and singing all day with harps, thats not the picture Scripture paints of heaven. It will hopefully expand your view of heaven which will build anticipation of how awesome it's going to be. And that, my friend, fosters an eternal perspective and helps us fix our eyes on what's to come.

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Judges 15:3-9 Samson said to them, This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them. So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves. When the Philistines asked, Who did this? they were told, Samson, the Timnites son -in-law, because his wife was given to his friend. So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. Samson said to them, Since youve acted like this, I wont stop until I get my revenge on you. He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam. (Judges 15:3-9) In college, I lived with three of my close friends. I think we pretty much fit into the four personality types so it kept things interesting. It was a blessing to always having someone push me to be sporadic, lighten up, and have fun. But fun can be dangerous sometimes, at least with my friend Janna around. It turns out that sliding down the stairs on a banana chair can put holes in the wall, and practical jokes can easily get out of hand. For example, someone once put an ice cream cone on our friends car, and our friend thought it was us. So he and his friends retaliated by putting mustard on our cars! Not knowing about the ice cream cone, we thought they just started a practical joke, so we stringed their house, put crumbs in their beds, and cat food in their bathtub and then filled it with water. Who knew it would get really disgusting and smell really bad? Whoops. Well, the retaliation continued until things got so out of hand the cops were called. But Samson and the Philistines take retaliation to a whole other level, destroying their livelihood of grain. Wow. Samson seems like an impulsive jerk. (Can I say that about a dead guy who God used to shape history?) Well, I guess He uses a lot of people, like Pharaoh, so that doesn't mean we have to agree with them and think theyre the greatest person ever to live. I am totally for defending the oppressed and doing what's right, no matter the cost, but Samson seems to care only about his own pleasure and what he's feeling at the moment. It doesn't seem to me that he is defending his wife or the fact that he was treated unjustly. He's just emotionally impulsive. (Not that I can understand that at all.)

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On another note, isn't it ironic that the very thing Samson's wife was trying to avoid (her family being killed) was the thing that actually ended up happening? Not only to her dad, but also to her. She tried to navigate her problem independently without communicating with Samson or her family. Likewise, when we do things by our own independent effort, the very thing we try to avoid, we end up doing. Its like trying to give up something for a fast or a diet in our own strength. The Law is there to show us we need Jesus. It's there to point us to the fact that we can't do what we want to do apart from the Spirit of Christ. When we try to live the Christian life independently, it's bad news. We aren't created to live in isolation. We are created to be dependent on God and dependent on others, which is a beautiful thing. So rather than pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and trying harder next time, we need to cling to Jesus and depend on the Holy Spirit and seek out other believers who will walk through it with us. So what's our glimpse of glory? That we will one day see Jesus reveal Himself as the Lord of Hosts. He won't stand for injustice any longer and will come with a sword to take possession of the earth as the Kinsman Redeemer. "In Israel's greatest hour of need the LORD of Sabaoth will return and wage war and rescue His covenant people Israel for all eternity (see Zechariah 13:8,9). Believers today must remember that this is the same Name that all in covenant with Him can run to, crying out in their hour of need, when all hope seems to be lost and defeat appears inevitable. May we all learn to cry out to our Warrior, the LORD of hosts, for the battle is His." Precept Austin

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Judges 15:9-13 The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi. The men of Judah asked, Why have you come to fight us? We have come to take Samson prisoner, they answered, to do to him as he did to us. Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, Dont you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us? He answered, I merely did to them what they did to me. They said to him, Weve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines. Samson said, Swear to me that you wont kill me yourselves. Agreed, they answered. We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you. So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. (Judges 15:9-13) Have you ever felt like a caged bird? Like you were capable of so much more than what you were given to steward at the moment? I have. For most of my growing up years, I looked very young. Most people think thats a good thing, but when it's assumed you should pay the childs fee at a swimming pool when you're in college, it's just plain embarrassing. Or when you coach junior high volleyball and are mistaken for one of the girls on the team when youre in college, let's just say you don't feel respected. When people think you're twelve, they treat you like you're twelve. I felt disregarded and overlooked until I was in my thirties. I know the caged bird feel. So I feel like I can relate to Samson, but I'll bet his experience went much deeper than mine. He has this awesome call on his life and the skill to match it, but he is completely disregarded. Nobody wants what he has to offer. Have you ever been there? In fact, the people who should have been pushing him to greatness were the very ones holding him back for their own selfish desire to stay in bondage. Its crazy that during Samson's time as a judge, the only time an army was formed was to attack him. Whoa! And if Samson defended himself, he would have had to fight the very people he was supposed to be leading. Have you noticed that when were caged, its easy to become self-focused and lose track of why we exist? We forget that we exist for God's pleasure rather than our own.

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Let's turn this on its head. I imagine a lot of us relate to Samson being stifled instead of empowered. But I think a lot of us also relate to the Israelites and just haven't realized it. Perhaps there is someone in your life you're holding back from functioning and doing what God has built them to do. Or lets take it a step further. Who in your life are you seeing as a Samson, a young person with a calling on his life who just needs a little love and guidance? He needs to be called to greatness, to use his gifts and strengths for the glory of God rather than personal pleasure. Lord, we don't want to be like the stiflers. Please show us the people in our lives who we can encourage, affirm, and give opportunity for them to fly. Lord, thank You for uncaging us, for giving us opportunities in Your timing. Help us pursue and walk forward to be good investors of the abilities You've given us and not waste or horde them. We trust Your word when You say that if we are faithful with a little You will give us much more.

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Judges 15:14-16 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men. (Judges 15:14-16) Doesn't it seem like God prefers to wait until the last minute to come through? This is a last-minute intervention if I ever saw one. The Philistines were heading toward Samson to kill him. I wonder if he could smell their leather and see the sweat on their faces. What would you be thinking and feeling if this was you? If I was being carried by 3,000 of my own people, bound with rope to be delivered to people who wanted to kill me, I think I would be so scared I wouldn't be able to talk or move. But at the last minute God comes through and shows Himself able. He shows Himself powerful and strong. Its clear Samson's strength is not what defeated 1,000 people; it was the Holy Spirit. Seriously, what in the world did the 3,000 Israelites think? What would you think and feel? The guy they just handed over to the enemy broke free and killed 1,000 of the men right in front of their eyes, by himself, with a bone. Would you feel shocked, scared, confused? This is the same Holy Spirit that lives in the believer, the person who has submitted his life to the Lord. And its the very same strength that is available to us. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and selfdiscipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 Though we feel weak and unable, the Lord is not. Do you feel unable, weak, or inadequate? The Lord is not, and He is able to strengthen you. He is looking throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9). We are not adequate in ourselves to

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consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Corinthians 3:5). God uses the weak to profound the wise and does incredible things through people who have submitted to Him and yielded to His strength.

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Judges 15:16-20 Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men." When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi. Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the LORD, "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines. (Judges 15:1620) I am blown away by the graciousness of God! Check out Samson's attitude. He says, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them." But when he gets thirsty, suddenly it's God's doing. He says, "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Blame-shifting. Were all prone to it. And we sound like donkeys when we boast in our own strength as if we can do anything of eternal value apart from the enablement of the Holy Spirit. Yet, God does the miraculous and makes water start flowing from a hollow place, right in the middle of Samson's blaming Him attitude. Wow! He stoops down to wash Samsons feet even while Samson is spitting in Gods face. What grace! Truly God's love is not dependent on our perfection. We can't earn God's love. He will always do what's in our best interest, whether we deserve it or not. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45) God is in the business of showing grace even when we don't deserve it. And what is in our best interest? Sometimes it means letting us fail and giving us discipline to correct us. And sometimes it means giving us success when we don't deserve it. He will always do what is best for our development and growth, just as we would do for our beloved childreneven when it hurts, even when they don't deserve it.

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His love for us is not based on our performance. Because we can't live the perfect Christian life apart from Him anyway.

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:3) The law exists to show us our desperate need for Jesus and drive us to our knees in dependence, relying on His strength and ability rather than our own. What a gracious God who drives even the strongest to her knees in surrender, just like Samson. God's love for us is based on the reality that we are His, His handiwork, not based on anything we do or don't do. The reality is that being loved unconditionally drives us to love more not less. So let's embrace what's true about us, for it will drive us to adore the Lord even more.

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Judges 16:1-3 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him." But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. (Judges 16:1-3) My husband led a mission trip to Cambodia in 2012. While he was there, he posted a status on Facebook that said: "Staking out a potential sex traffic situation in our hotel in Cambodia tonight. At approximately 7:10 p.m. the 65-year-old suspect gave cash to a well-dressed Cambodian woman in her thirties who was escorting an approximately 9-13 year old girl. Aaron (a student leader) called for backup (Cambodian trafficking police), and we started to stake out the guys room. The girl is in the room across the hall with the older woman. Pray that the light shines into the darkness and that this girls parents would know what love is." Later, another student on the trip said on Facebook: "We got in contact with the agency, and they have sent undercover agents to stalk the guy to gather information to prosecute him. If enough evidence is gathered, he can be tried in his home country for trafficking. Pray that they can get the evidence they need to charge him." Not a few minutes after I read this I read, "Samson went to Gaza where he saw a prostitute." I'm struck. Coincidence? And then I read in my background commentary: "In the ancient world, women often resorted to prostitution if they had no other means of economic support, especially if they were widows or orphans." Its the same today! My heart aches for the orphan and oppressedthe very people God so desperately loves that He defines Himself by how He interacts with them. Hes a Father to the fatherless and the Defender of the oppressed.

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Yet, there are more slaves today than any other time in history. Think about that. Raising awareness about these horrific evils is something that needs to happen, but it can't stop there. We need to be people who move from hearing to action. How? How can we be part of displaying God's heart to a desperate world? My friends, Chris and Gloria, are adopting from Ethiopia. They are awesome. Chris leads a Sunday school class at our church, and Gloria co-leads a Bible study with me. They are incredible parents and love Jesus a ton. They are partnering with a business that sells fair trade online coffee, and they are giving almost 50% of their profits to my friends. Isn't that incredible? Ive been thinking about fair trade recently. It is more expensive, but a friend of mine puts it this way: "I look at the price of coffee and wince because it's so expensive. But then I think about what the slaves are going through to make my coffee cheaper and suddenly the price doesn't matter." I am learning that being a good steward does not always equal cheapest. So it might hurt the wallet to be a part of the solution to slavery, but it pleases and glorifies the Lord. The organization willing to help my friends, Just Love Coffee, has a vision. Our vision is not only creating outstanding coffees, but coffees that are fair and sustainable. Fair, meaning that the coffee farmers are paid a living wage for their work. Sustainable, meaning that the coffee cherries are grown and harvested in a way that protects our precious natural resources. In early 2011, Rob and Emily began to discuss what more they could do through the company to help the plight of the orphan. What could Just Love Coffee do to not only help place orphans in permanent homes, through both domestic and international adoption, but help to prevent children in the developing world from becoming orphaned? Through friends, Rob and Emily had contributed to the non-profit organization Charity: Water, and they learned about the immense need for clean water in the developing world to promote wellness. They decided that 5% of all sales of Just Love Coffee would go to Charity: Water through the Coffee to Water program. "In our first two years of business, we have given away over $200,000 to adopting families, orphan care, and non-profit organizations. Every bag of Just Love Coffee you purchase, every cup you drink at a caf, is a blend of coffee and love." Just Love Coffee

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If you want to support orphans who need families, Just Love Coffee is a great way to do it. Buy some fair trade coffee and help people adopt. Its wonderful to know that you are not only helping orphans, but you are also not contributing to the problem of slavery in the world. How awesome is that?

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Judges 16:4-10 Here's my hot (and super wise) husband. This picture was taken at the lodge where we got married over eleven years ago. When we met, Austin had long hair and no goatee. He cut his hair right before our wedding and started growing the goatee about four years ago. I wish I could say I was a fan of facial hair. For four years, I haven't complained that much about it. Then on Valentine's Day, he surprised me at our weekly student ministry meeting by serenading me with a nicely shaved face. It was awesome! But to Asher and Uriah's delight, he started growing it back the next day. It was a treat while it lasted. But this morning when I answered the Skype to talk to him from Cambodia, I get the shock of all shocks. He is half shaved! Now its just a mustache! The worst of all facial hair! He has a mustache! If something is spelled must ache, how in the world can it be good? So the first thing I said, "Ah, gross! If you come home with that thing on your face, I'm going to shave it off in the middle of the night." I was kidding. (Kind of.) Then the Lord reminds me of the story I had read not twenty minutes earlier. Samson and Delilah. Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver." So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how

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you can be tied up and subdued." Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man." Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied." (Judges 16:4-10) And while I read, I was stuck by a few striking contrasts of the Proverbs 31 woman. In Proverbs 31:11-12, it says: "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." At first, Samson didn't tell his wife the source of his strength. But shouldn't she already know that? I guess they weren't that close, and he apparently didn't think his Nazarite vow was worth talking about. He didn't tell her. That shows he didn't trust her. Perhaps it's because he had trust issues, or maybe it's because she wasn't worthy of his trust. (I think both.) Maybe she criticized and belittled him, and he didn't feel safe enough to expose his heart. This is the opposite of the wife King Lemuel's mom tells him to look for in Proverbs 31a lady he can fully trust. This wife of noble character also brings her husband good, another glaring opposite from Delilah. Delilah spends her time and energy on deceiving her husband for her own pleasure. So she can get money to buy more stuff for her own pleasure, without any concern for him. That's when the brick hit me in the face. Do my spending habits line up with having Austin's good in mind? Ouch. Let me explain. We do the good old-fashioned envelope system, and Austin is the bookkeeper. I tried being bookkeeper once, and it was a disaster. So he organizes all our budgeted money into envelopes each month. But sometimes, especially when he is away, I can mix up the envelopes or get confused on what I'm supposed to do when I'm grocery shopping and can't find the grocery envelope. And let me just say, that when I am standing in line for fifteen minutes with three antsy kids under the age of four, I am not thinking about what's good for Austin. Convicted. Then this morning I actually tell him I'm going to shave his face. Oh my. So here's my heart and life. I hope you get a glimpse of how much I need Jesus because I doubt God has ever convicted you of being a Delilah. And I hope you also get a glimpse of how incredible God's grace is. He is sufficient for all our needs.

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Judges 16:10-17 In 2008, Austin and I led a mission trip to Russia. Asher (our oldest) turned one while we were there. It was the first time traveling overseas with a child, and it was awesome to see how God provided everything we needed for him: transportation, formula, diapers, baby food, toys, and even a pack-and-play. God cares about the details. While we were there, though, I had a run-in with a guy yelling in a girls face at the bus stop. But before I go on I should tell you a little bit about me. I tend to be pretty bold. It's an amazing thing God did in my heart, since I was super shy and completely controlled by fear while growing up. Think of the shyest kid you know. I was probably shyer. But when I gave my life to Christ, that ever-present fear was gonereplaced by boldness. There are still times I get nervous and fearful, but in general, I am pretty bold. Then combine that with a desire to be stealthy and spy-like, with a desire to sneak into closed countries to tell people about Jesus. Okay, now that you're all prepped, here's the scene. Im standing at the subway station and a guy across the tracks is yelling at this girl. He's angry, with arms flailing. Hes speaking in Russian, and I have no idea what hes saying. She's trembling. I have Asher on my hip, and I am wearing a white flowing skirt. I watch the guy, worried that he may get violent. He keeps getting closer and closer to her, and I can't just stand there any longer. I yell, "Hey! Get away from her! He stops and turns to look at me, completely stunned. Maybe its because Im speaking a different language. Or, maybe its because I had a baby on my hip. Basically, I freak him out, and he turns and walks away. It was crazy. I probably shouldn't have done that, although Im not sure what else I should have done. Perhaps I had a little too much confidence in my abilities to put this guy in his place. Maybe if I knew karate or something, my confidence would have been a little bit better placed. (To my defense, Austin was with me, so I thought if anything did happen, he could beat the guy up after I did.) I think Samson was a bit like this. A little too confident in his abilities.

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Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied." He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man." So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, "Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied." He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric [on the loom] and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man." (Judges 16:10-17) It's almost as if Samson is toying with Delilah, telling her all these fake ways his strength could be taken. It's like he thinks he cant be broken. Hes a little too confident. Its an example that no matter how strong we think we are, if we remain in temptation, it will take us somewhere we don't want to go. Everyone has a breaking point. Then there's Delilah. When I read this, I can't stop thinking about how crazy she is. She's like my three-year-old in a grown-up body. She is putting her husband in harms way, yet she plays the victim, as though he is the one who has betrayed her. She is actually accusing him of being a jerk while she's trying to serve his head on a platter. Talk about blameshifting! But even in these crazy characters, we see the glory of God. Its pure grace that He opens our eyes to the reality that we need Him. Because if we live life as though we really can do everything apart from Him, then we are going to miss the very purpose we were created for. Its all grace that He lowers our blame-shifting finger and helps us recognize our need. Thank you, Lord! Please help us see more and more how great and awesome You are and how much we really do need You.

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Judges 16:18-22 In 2000, I went on a two-month-long missionary training trip to Nepal. While there, we shared the gospel with a guy named Ram, and he wanted to take us to his village to tell his family about Jesus. So Steve, Joel, and I began the exciting and terrifying journey to his village. Our twenty-four-hour journey started on a bus that was bursting with people, luggage, and chickens. During the bus ride, a strange Nepalese lady got tired and rested her head on my lap as if that were totally normal! We continued through the windy mountain pass with a huge drop-off on one side of the road. Suddenly, we came to an abrupt halt. It turns out the road had washed away, and they had to rebuild it right then and there. We would become the guinea pigs to test the newly built road. So we got off the road, and our twenty-two-mile trek uphill began. I thought I was in shape. Ha! It was like walking upstairs while wearing a backpack as big as me. I could only take a few steps without having to stop for a breath. I wanted to say, Ram, have you noticed how big he is in comparison to me? I'm 5'4, people! Well, he eventually took my backpack, seeing how I was struggling so much. Then our pace picked up, and we came to a wooden bridgethe kind you would expect to see in an Indiana Jones movieall rickety and swaying. (I remember it as 150 feet in the air with crocodiles at the bottom.) We crossed the bridge and saw several other large men carrying couches and fridges on their backs. Couches! Plural! Two of them fit inside of each other. Plus a fridge! I was in shock. I couldn't even carry my backpack, and these guys, who were smaller than me, were carrying heavy furniture up a 12,000-foot mountain! Need I say their muscles looked like they were going to bust out of their skin? Most of my hike was spent in shock. At one point, we talked about praying. But Ram had no idea what prayer was, so we told him it was talking to God. So he did. He began to describe to God where we were, what we were doing, what the day was like, and so on. Later, I realized that Ram had no idea that God knew everything. What a huge understanding of God that I totally took for granted! But the truth is, many people in other countries have no understanding of God at all. In the United States, we are blessed with a lot of knowledge of who God is, yet we can sometimes act just like Ram, thinking God knows nothing of our situation and Hes powerless to do anything about it.

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We finally arrived at Rams village and went straight to bed. When we woke up, I looked around to see what I could do to help the ladies around the village. So what were the ladies doing? Shoveling manure into a basket. Thats doable, right? Except she was using her hands! How in the world could I do that? I just couldn't bring myself to join her. Later, we got a tour of the village, which was super cute in a 12,000-foot-side-of-the-mountain-withtons-of-terraced-rice-fields sort of way. On the tour, Joel commented on their goattheir one and only goat. They slaughtered it for us that night. Talk about a moment you completely didn't expect but totally regret! They killed their goat to feed us. I felt awful! When Joel made the comment about the goat, we had no idea they would do this. Then the moment came when we had to eat their goat, out of respect and honor, with the skin still on. Gross! The taste of guilt. I bet this is some of what Samson felt. Then, only after the fact, He realized, Oh no!" When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. (Judges 16:18-22) But even this instance wasn't outside of God's redemption. He truly is worthy of all our hope!

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Judges 16:23-30 In college I found out I had hypothyroidism. Apparently, one out of four people have it, but I had never heard of it. I was tired all the time and felt like I could fall asleep on the floor in the middle of the day while working. I was concerned, so I set up a doctors appointment with my home doctor, who was seven hours away. While driving there, I fell asleep at the wheel. When I woke up, I was about to go head on with a truck, and I knew there was a truck behind me and ditches on both sides of the highway. So I swerved, and the next thing I knew, I was on the side of the road facing the other direction, and no other cars were around. Where did the other cars go? How did I not hit that truck? As I sat there, a guy ran to my car and said, "Are you ok? You must have some good karma." In shock, all I could say was "God" and pointed up. He left and another guy came and said, "Man, you must have an angel or something." But I didn't want anything else to get the recognition for what God did. So again, all I could get out this time was a couple more words, "It was God." God shows His power that His name may be declared throughout all the earth (Romans 9:17). But we often attribute what God has done to our own ingenuity or ability or to someone giving us a hand. Like the guys who saw how I didn't go head on with a truck and praised angels and karma, the same thing happened with Samson's life. The Philistines praised and offered sacrifices to their god Dagon. How sad! Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands." When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain." While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God,

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please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. (Judges 16:23-30) But wasn't it left open for discussion? Samson didn't walk with the Lord, let alone talk about Him or give room for the Lord to show Himself great through him. I like how John Piper says it: "God is not like an insecure bully, who likes to show off his strength by putting weaker people down. God loves to show off his greatness by being an inexhaustible source of strength to build weak people up." Its too bad Samson spent his whole life not submitting to God's inexhaustible strength. Look where it got him. Blind and used to give a fake god glory. But God! Piper reminds us: "God is the kind of God who delights most deeply not in making demands but in meeting needs. Prayer is his delight because prayer shows the reaches of our poverty and the riches of his grace. Prayer is that wonderful transaction where the wealth of God's glory is magnified and the wants of our souls are satisfied." The Philistines didn't know God was the Forgiver and Restorer. They had a servant boy leading Samson arounda boy, leading the strongest man to ever live around. How crazy! God sure knows how to humble us. Samson humbled himself under the powerful hand of God, and the Lord showed Himself strong through him. Through his death, he is now placed as a model of a man of faith (Hebrews 11). What grace! An entire life un-submitted, yet God sees him as a man of faith because of this moment when He called out to the Lord for strength. If there's hope for Samsonselfish, arrogant, lustful, hiding Samsonisn't there room for God's grace for us? Yes! God wants to show Himself strong for all who call on Him.

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Judges 17:1-6 Chapters 17-21 are like an appendix to the book of Judges. The events in these next chapters actually occurred earlier in Judges but are placed here to show how far the people of God had strayed from Him in their home life, ministry, and society. Warren Wiersbe explains: "The nation that once marched triumphantly through Canaan to the glory of God now disintegrates morally and politically and brings disgrace to His name. Because Micah and his family didn't submit to the authority of God's Word, their home was a place of religious and moral confusion." Have you ever had someone steal from you? If so, how did you feel? How did you react? If not, how do you suppose you would feel and react? I am confident that if the person returned what they stole from you, that you wouldn't praise them and tell them you will give it all back to them. That's just weird, right? Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse -- I have that silver with me; I took it." Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!" When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol. I will give it back to you." So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into the image and the idol. And they were put in Micah's house. Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. (Judges 17:1-6) So the son steals money, a lot of money, and the mom responds by praising him and saying she'll give it back to him. How crazy is that? Lets take the story of the prodigal son. The son takes his inheritance and squanders it. After eating with pigs, he returns home. The father runs to him and slaughters the fattened

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calf for him because he's returned. The father loves the son and shows his acceptance of him, not because of what he has done, but because of who he is in relation to the father. But he never praises his foolishness. It would be weird if the father said, "Oh, son, I'm so glad you're back! You squandered your money on prostitutes. Awesome! I will give you everything you lost." Gross! The beauty of this story is that it reflects God's heart for us. But the story with Micah and his mom doesnt do that. The mom's mixed-up view of God and righteousness multiplied into her son who distorted what God was like even further, making his own ephod and idols and appointing his own son a priestall of which were big huge no-nos. This is a picture of what happens when we don't have a right view of God. Apart from learning from His Word what's true about God, people don't get better. They don't automatically start pleasing God. Everything about us what we think and what we dois rooted in what we believe about God. Just as Micah's mom didn't think God would care if she didn't speak truth to her son and correct him for stealing. And just as Micah didn't think God would mind if he set up his own little temple in his house with a priest. If we don't teach our kids and the younger generation what's true about God, who will? The ramifications are not something we will want to face if we don't. But in order to teach what's true about God, we need to spend time with Him in His Word. So perhaps it's time for a schedule-check. Does your schedule reflect your hearts priorities? What does your schedule show that you believe about God? Why not make the adjustments that need to be made right now?

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Judges 17:7-13

Which picture best represents grace to you? How have you seen God's grace in your life? I've heard grace explained as getting pulled over for a speeding ticket. The cop walks up and says, "Well, it looks like you deserve a $250 ticket. But I'm going to show you mercy, so I wont give you the ticket." Thats awesome. But true grace would be the policeman not only not giving you the ticket, but also giving you $250. Grace is not only not getting what you do deserve, but getting what you don't deserve on top of it. There seems to be at least two ways to abuse grace: thinking you can earn it and trampling on it. A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay." Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food." So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man was to him like one of his sons. Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." (Judges 17:7-13) Two men, two extremes.

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Micah was trapped in performance acceptance. He was trying to earn acceptance from God by what he did. But grace can't be earned. I grew up with the same misconception. (Well talk more about that tomorrow). On the other hand, Jonathan, the young Levite, trampled grace. He was given the privilege of being born a Levite and getting to serve the Lord in the temple, but he chose to do life on his own terms. Why was he living in the clan of Judah to begin with? It was a city not assigned to the priests and Levites (Joshua 21, Numbers 35). And why was he leaving? Was he looking for something more? Was he not getting enough income to survive? Was the Lord allowing his life to become more difficult to drive Jonathan to Himself? Jonathan fudged things, and it was the start of the downward sin-spiral, pulling him further and further away from what God wanted for Him. A true understanding of grace leads to love, not performance acceptance or trampling. The more we understand God's grace, the more we love and live for God. Oh, Lord, please give us an ever-expanding understanding of Your grace.

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Judges 18:1 For the first ten years of my Christian life, I thought I could live the Christian life if I just tried hard enough. I approached the Bible as a book of dos and donts. I even remember being irritated at God because of how He organized the Bible. I couldn't understand why He didnt make a long list for me, to make it easier to live the Christian life. I thought if I had a list of everything I should do and everything I shouldnt do, then I would be the best Christian to ever walk the planet. Why? Because I would know what was expected of me. I believed that if I just knew, then I could do it. My motives were to please the Lord, and I knew I was accepted by my Father regardless of my actions, but I didnt trust Him to bring about the transformation in my heart. I took on the responsibility of sanctifying (being made more like Christ) myself. I believed it was by grace that God had rescued me from hell, but it was by my own effort that I lived the good Christian life. I didn't realize that we can do nothing eternal apart from the Lord. I didn't understand that we can know the right thing to do and yet not do it. I have a friend who used to be a leader in the church I went to. She and her husband moved, then we moved, and now it's been twelve years since I've seen her. We are friends on Facebook, and that is how I found out she and her husband got a divorce. Now she is a lesbian, and he is a heavy drinker. Heartbreaking. Just the other day on her Facebook wall she posted a video of Pat Robertson talking about homosexuality. Obviously, her community got fired up over it. Here are a few of the forty-two comments in response: "Lots of people do good things without having a higher authority. Actually some of the nicest people I have ever met do not live by a higher authority and some of the meanest people out there live by a higher authority. Look at all these countries going to war over the fear of a higher authority. A higher authority that may or may not exist" "If there is a "god" or not, we should all strive to be the best person we can! Regardless of race or religion! I treat everyone the same way I would want to be treated."

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It is commonly thought that if we know the right things to do, we could do it. If we all lived according to what we all thought was best and "did what was right in our own eyes," then our society would work and life would work. This sounds good. It sounds like it should work. But it's not true. Throughout Judges, the phrase "In those days Israel had no king" was usually followed with "and everyone did what was right in their own eyes." But look where it got them. In crazy, awful situations. The reality is that we just can't do it on our own. It's impossible to do what our spirit desires apart from the Spirit of God enabling us. The Law exists to show us we need Jesus. But knowing what we should and shouldn't do doesn't enable us to do it (Romans 3:20). It takes relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit and remaining connected to Him as a branch is to the Vine to do the things the Lord desires of us. Just because someone does good things or is a nice person does not mean he has the ability to do all the good intentions he desires. Basically, we need Jesus a lot. I love how Paul says it. He's always in your face and to the point. Theres no beating around the bush with him. Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:3). Here it is in the Message Bible: "Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?"

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Judges 18:2 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. (Judges 18:1) Does it ever seem like everyone around you already fits into the place God has them? I wonder if the Danites felt this way. All the other tribes were occupying the land the Lord wanted for them, except for them. So how did they get to this place? They didn't take the land when Joshua told them to. They experienced opposition and gave up. They started out doing what God told them to do, but they gave up when it got hard. They didn't keep pursuing and fighting for it because it got too difficult. Perhaps they saw other tribes that were allotted much bigger pieces of land in comparison, deflating their desire to take the land God had for them. Perhaps they thought, "Why keep fighting so hard for something so seemingly insignificant?" Sometimes what God has before us seems insignificant. But we must always remember: We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) It's not important how big or small the thing is the Lord has called us to do because it's not about us; it's about Him. It was His call and His plan, and it will always be better than ours. We may see a shoestring as insignificant, but in reality, it keeps the shoe on the foot. We may see our part to play in this short life as insignificant, but we are only seeing the backside of a beautiful tapestry. When this life is over and we are no longer seeing dimly in a mirror, we will see the front side of the beautiful tapestry the Lord has made, and we will see our small part in history as beautifully significant. So what about you? What has God called you to? How do you view your allotment?

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Are you persevering when it gets hard? Why? What does it take to stop you? And what does it take to get you restarted? Our glimpse of glory in Judges 18:1 is that God is a Master Weaver with a master plan. He has full knowledge of us and the unique contribution He has for us. And He is the One who gives us the desire to keep pursuing what He has for us. Lord, help us cling to You and draw from Your strength when we feel like giving up. Please keep reminding us not to look to external things to find our significance but to keep our eyes on You.

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Judges 18:3-6 So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans. They told them, "Go, explore the land." The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night. When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?" He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, "He has hired me and I am his priest." Then they said to him, "Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful." The priest answered them, "Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD's approval." (Judges 18:3-6) Whenever the Bible talks about spies, I get excited. I wonder if these guys were excited. I imagine it was an honor to be chosen, but they seem a little ignorant. Didn't the Israelites learn from the twelve spies sent out by Moses? Ten of them came back with pessimistic attitudes about taking the Promised Land. You'd think they would choose guys who really knew their stuff so they weren't so quick to throw in the towel. But these elite men end up asking the young Levite if they have the Lord's approval. How weird is that? They ask a man who is disobeying the Lord what God's will is. If they didn't know the Levite wasn't supposed to be living there, then it shows they didn't know God's Word or laws. If they did know, it didn't faze them that he was disobeying the Lord. And shouldn't they inquire of the Lord before they go? Were these really the topnotch men? Or do these men represent the general attitude and character of the DanitesSamsons tribe? It makes sense. Sometimes I think we can be guilty of the same thing. We turn to people who aren't walking with the Lord for advice, whether its in real life, online, or in the media. It is strange to think that this young Levite would have godly counsel and know God's will for the spies. Maturity comes from discerning truth and evil, which comes from a history of walking with the Lord (Hebrews 5:14). If God has a plan for us, a good one, that is full of hope, and His mission for us is to make disciples, how would a non-believer filter that into their counsel if they didn't even know God? (I think we can learn from anyone and should seek counsel

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from experts in certain fields like finances. I am talking here about seeking spiritual advice about what to do with our lives.) So how do we see God's heart and character? What's our glimpse of glory? We serve a God who sets stages. He orchestrated the spies to stay at Micah's house where they would be able to hear the young Levites accent. In the same way, God tests us in order to help us fear Him and walk with Him. He is very involved in the details of life, and I love that! Oh, Lord, help us seek out godly counsel. Help us to learn from the mistakes and successes of others. And please put godly people in our lives, who we can seek out and ask questions. Lord, help us not be ignorant and take the advice of people who don't deserve our trust. Lord, just as You orchestrated the spies' interactions, please orchestrate ours for Your glory. Help us trust You more and more.

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Judges 18:7-10 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, "What do you report?" They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth." (Judges 18:7-10) We see people all around us doing evil things and getting away with it. What gives us hope when we see that? God had given land to the Danites, but they didn't take it. They experienced a little bit of opposition and gave up. (How often do we do that too? Yet, we cover it up by saying it must not be God's will). But the Danites outgrew the measly land they settled for, and they were looking for something bigger and better. When we settle for less than what God has for us, the shiny always wears off and leaves us pursuing yet another thing. When we feed the flesh, it's helpful to know that it will never be satisfied. The Danites see some land that looks great, so they talk to a prodigal priest for counsel and get ready to attack their fellow Israelites. They disobeyed, got dissatisfied, and wanted what their brothers and sisters had. So they killed their relatives to get it. Sin is a downward spiral, and it's wise to know that none of us are immune. Look how quickly everyone jumped onboard when they heard how easy it would be. Oftentimes, sin is the easier option. Sin will always offer an easy button. But while that easy button may be easy now, the long-term effects will only bring more pain. It's like compound interest, but backwards. Instead, let's cling to Jesus so we don't end up behaving like a Danite.

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What about when you've been sinned against? Where does your hope come from? Our help and hope come from the Lord. He is the defender of the weak and oppressed. He is the Rescuer, Restorer, Redeemer, and Rewarder. He will step in one day and say, No More! But for now, we can be comforted by God's word: For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind . . . Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches . . . until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (Psalm 73)

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Judges 18:14, 17-20 Do you know what you're striving for? How will you know if you reach it? And when you do reach it, what then? Our young Levite priest, who we've been following through Judges, didn't know what he was striving for; therefore, he was pulled by whatever happened to come along. He wasted his life on his own pleasure and had no direction or desire to be a good steward with what the Lord had given him. Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, "Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do. The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate. When these men went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" They answered him, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?" Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people. (Judges 18:14, 17-20) There doesn't seem to be limits on how far our hearts can go when we are set on pleasing the flesh. Micah had given the young Levite a place to live and an income for his "service." But when a better opportunity came along, the young Levite threw in the towel. Not only did he pick up and leave, but he also dishonored the man who treated him like family by stealing from him. When something seemingly better was thrown at the young Levite, it was irresistible because his heart was fixed on himself and how to get what he wanted. Opportunities will come for us. Some of them good, but good doesnt equal best. Without a clear picture of what God has called us to, the path of least resistance will be our guide, leading us to a wasted life. It will never bring satisfaction but a continual longing for more. Without a well-thought-out plan, the tyranny of the urgent will be our makeshift holy spirit.

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Stewardship takes effort. First, you have to take inventory. What do you have? Second, you have to explore your options. What can you invest in? Third, you have to decide what the best fit for you is. How can you bring about the most increase of what you've been given? Have you set aside time to purposely prepare to invest and steward the strengths and abilities the Lord has given you? I created The Life Purpose Plan to help others discover how their uniqueness, current reality, and the God-given mission fit together for the glory of God. It is things like this that will help you know what to say yes to and what to say no to. It will help you determine the good from the best. Did you know that 95% of 90-year-olds said they wished they would have reflected more, risked more, and done more? Lets learn from those who've gone before us and set aside time to be strategic eternal investors.

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Judges 18:22-26 We often have the tightest grip on what we are hoping in. But our grip will strangle us if its misplaced. Only God is able to withstand our grip of hope. And when our grip is on something other than the Lord, it will destroy the beauty of the thing we are hoping in. It will eventually pierce and wound us. When God gives gifts, they are not meant to be tightly held. They are meant to be held with open hands so others can enjoy the beauty as well. When our hope is misplaced, Godwho is rich in mercy and grace, and abounding in love and faithfulnesssteps in to rescue. Sometimes that means having the thing we are putting our confidence in ripped from us. The thing we are hoping in needs to be crushed and exposed for its unworthiness of our full reliance, for our hope cannot be placed in the Lord if it is placed elsewhere. Hope only has room for One. Micah's hope was in his idols and the young Levite, yet they were ripped out from under him. When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?" And he said, "You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, 'What is the matter with you?'" And the people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household." Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home." (Judges 18:22-26) I don't know about you, but hope seems like a hard thing to measure. It's hard to tell if we're fully hoping in the Lord or in success, stability, security, status, or something else. So how can we tell? By doing a fist-check. Are our hands open and willing to let go? Or is our heart wrapped so tightly around ________ that the thought of not having it makes us angry? When we are openhanded, it manifests itself in a willingness to give, a willingness to share. Just like a kid with his candy.

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So how do we transfer trust? How do we put our hope in the Lord? It's a choice to remember what's true about the Lord and let go of the grip on that other thing and lay it at His feet. It's a choice to cling to Jesus instead. Its a chance to say, "It's not mine, it's Yours." Then, when hard things come our way, we wont be shaken because our hope is in the Lord. We will be a people willing to follow the Lord where He leads, not squishing the life out of something not meant to be gripped.

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Judges 18:27-28 Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. (Judges 18:27-28) Have you ever felt alone? Have you ever been in need but with no rescuer in sight? Have your gifts been taken and used for evil? Have you ever been treated unfairly? Has the very thing you once loved ever been destroyed? I imagine these are the things the unsuspecting people of Laish felt. Can you relate to them? There is Someone else who has felt these things. Someone who deeply understands. Someone who says yes to all of these. Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who took on flesh to be killed by His creation knows, truly knows what we are going through. Not just intellectually, but circumstantially. He's been there, feeling that same emotion. What are you feeling at this moment? The person who designed your DNA has felt it too. Not only did He feel what you feel and experience the same things you experience, He overcame them so we could be more than conquerors. His death and resurrection, beating the sting of death, mean life for us. We have hope because what men intended for evil, God intended for good. I'm sure in some way we can all relate to the unsuspecting people who had everything ripped from them. But Jesus is our Overcomer, Restorer, Redeemer, the Soon and Coming King who will make all things right, and the Conqueror of death who stole its sting. He is our Compassionate Shepherd.

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Judges 18:29-31 My little redheaded four-year-old had a hard day today. He is one of the most strong-willed kids I know, but over the past year, he has begun to learn how to yield his little rights. But I saw none of that today. He couldn't let go of what he thought he deserved. When I didn't fit into his expectation of me, he blew up and threw a fit. I wish this were just a kid thing, but doesn't the same thing happen to us adults? Isn't it easy to think we deserve to be treated this or that way? Isnt it easy to think people should do this or that for us? And if they don't, we throw a fit. Our culture is saturated with entitlement egging us to believe that we deserve this or we dont deserve that. But if God gave us what we deserved, we'd be in hell tonight. Our culture is saturated with entitlement. But Jesus wasn't. "The only person in the history of the world with license to demand rights is Jesus. He's God in the flesh, Creator entering creation. He alone can claim entitlement; He alone can demand that certain rights be given to Him. Yet this is not the mentality He had. Instead of coming into the world demanding worship, honor, wealth, fame, or the many other things rightly entitled to Him, He came humbly, seeking to serve and yield His rights for the sake of others. Jesus left behind eternal, perfect fellowship with the Father and the Spirit to come to earth, taking on frail human flesh and living among us. He was willing to suspend the rights and privileges of Heaven to become a servant. He had a right to comfort, yet He had no place to lay His head. He had the right to be respected; yet He was accused of being of the devil. He had the right to be honored and worshiped; yet He was mocked and scorned. He had the right to be understood; yet for a time His own family didn't believe in Him. He had the right to justice; yet on the cross He suffered the greatest injustice in human history-the perfect, righteous Son of God dying under accusation of blasphemy against the Lord. Jesus would have been completely justified in demanding these rights. If your generation is going to finally fulfill the Great Commission, it will be because you yield your careers, your money, your relationships, your time, your

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lifestyle, your reputation, everything to the Lord. This vision cannot and will not be realized by a generation of Christians who buy into the value system of the world, who claim entitlement and cling to their rights. Your legacy, as perhaps the greatest generation in history, hinges on these questions. Will you demand or will you yield?" What powerful words by Roger Hershey in his book The Finishers. It is one of my favorite books, and I highly recommend it.

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Judges 19:1-3 Are you a Braveheart fan? I would like the movie a lot more if the girl didn't die at the beginning. But I've been told thats the whole point. It's because William Wallace's love was killed that the revolution started. But part of me pushes against that. I want to believe there had to be another way. Can't revolution come without sorrow? Yet, I'm finding more and more that it won't. It can't. We need things to rock us out of our apathy. Chapter 19 of Judges is like Braveheart for me. It's a similar storyline, and I yearn for it to be another way. It causes me to wrestle with God through the question of why this awfulness and why He included it in the Bible. But then there's another pull in my hearta desire to hear what's real. I don't want to hear just the good. I don't want a Bible full of great people who never messed up. I want to hear about people I can relate to. I want to see the ramifications of sin, for when we think lightly of sin, we think lightly of Jesus the Redeemer. I think we hate stories like this because we weren't created for a world like this. We were created for Eden, for heaven, yet we are also built to crave God and everything about Him. So the awfulness of sin meets redemption, and we experience the aching beauty. For now, we have a few days until we get to the awful parts of Judges 19. So let's take in these few verses of grace and savor the morsels. In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. (Judges 19:1-3) A new Levite enters the picture and shows incredible grace. He was treated so unfairly that Ill bet Hollywood would have a heyday with this. (On a side note, it bothers me how often

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Hollywood manipulates our emotions with the way they present affairs in movies. They lead your heart and mind to root for the people who are "in love" even though they aren't married! Argh, that makes me so mad!) Who knows why this lady had an affair? Perhaps some guy wooed her and made her feel like she was the top of the world. Perhaps this man was smitten with her, and she found him irresistible. After all, she was just a concubine and we dont know how this Levite treated her. Mr. Levite, with his pride wounded and heart broken, comes to woo her back. He comes in grace, bearing gifts. Much like the Lord. We break His heart by turning to our own ways, in our own self-sufficiency, yet He pursues us with unending grace. And this is Mrs. Levites last acther only recorded act in Scripture. How embarrassing! But isn't that just like sin? Sin brings death, which brings shame, embarrassment, and a host of other things. It makes you wonder how something so painful can ever seem so pleasurable. The grace given by their dad is like a shower of relief. Where is the condemnation? I don't see it here. Its the same grace Jesus showed with the woman caught in adultery (John 8). With Jesus there is no condemnation for those who put their trust in Him. (Another side note: Its interesting how there are so many instances of people having affairs in Scripture. Let's keep watch over our minds, ladies. Scripture gives warning that we are not exempt, not ever. Where our mind goes, our heart follows, and it's just downhill from there. Pain and embarrassment and, eventually, death.) Lets remember Jesus' gracethe favor and acceptance He gives to those who don't deserve it. If Jesus, the King over all, can offer acceptance, forgiveness, and favor for imperfect people, how much more should we?

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Judges 19:4-10 I went to college to be an elementary school teacher. Deep down, I thought it was the only thing I thought I was smart enough to do. A couple of years into my program, I had to observe some classrooms, and I came home crying every day because I hated it. It's important for kids to learn history and English, but I didn't want to be the one to teach them. All I wanted to do was teach the Bible. But I had no idea what that could look like for a woman. I talked with my pastor, and he had me start reading biographies of missionaries. Not long after, I talked to my friend Erica about coming with me to Africa to visit some missionaries. I wanted to observe what these missionaries did. So we traveled to Africa, and we were overwhelmed by the Africans generosity, even when they had nothing. One family gave us their banana-type food, and I'm pretty sure it was the last food they had. Two years later, I went to Nepal and met Nepalese who would close their stores to have tea with visitors. In Mexico, they invite you over for dinner, and you are there for at least three hours. In contrast to America, it seems that many other cultures value people and hospitality above almost everything else, kind of like the father-in-law in Judges 19. His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there. On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go. (Judges 19:4-10) This happens a few more nights and, finally, after a vacation , the Levite was unwilling to stay another night. He left for Jebus (Jerusalem) with his donkeys and concubine. I dread what's to come in this chapter, and I am trying to celebrate the verses right in front of me. But all I can think about is this father. If he knew what would soon happen, he wouldn't be acting this way. He wouldn't be treating his daughters husband with such delight. He would hold his daughter tight and never let her leave. But we don't ever know what's coming, and all we can do is trust the Lord, the One who knows. And if were walking with Him, were right where we need to be. So this would be a good time to do a heart-check. Are you walking in the Spirit and walking with the ability

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and strength the Lord supplies? Or, are you relying on yourself to live what God has called you to? In just a few verses, the father-in-law's hospitality is going to be starkly contrasted and the reason the Lord says, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" (1 Peter 4:7). Home is where the heart is, right? So when we let people into our lives, we have to make room for them. We have to say no to something we may want. When we aren't in the habit of saying no to every desire we may have, it grows. We must abide in Christthe One who is able to keep us from falling, the One who will present us without fault and with great joy (Jude 24-25).

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Judges 19:11-15 Have you been hurt by other believers? I imagine so. Sometimes it stings worse than being hurt by non-believers because we have this mostly unspoken expectation that other believers should be perfect and act like Jesus. We have an expectation of safety. Our Mr. Levite thought the same way. He was willing to go out of his way to stay with the people of God. He thought that would be safer. He thought they would be his refuge. When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let's stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night." His master replied, "No. We won't go into an alien city, whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah." He added, "Come, let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places." So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night. (Judges 19:11-15) They arrived after spending a five-day party with a super hospitable ather-in-law, and now, among the people of God, there is no one who will care for him. Have you been there? Have you gone into a gathering of believers and felt completely alone? I have. Lack of hospitality is a sign of the inward heart problem of self-absorption. But I have been there too. Jesus doesn't hold the expectation of perfection over believers heads. So why do we? He sees them through His blood, just as He sees us. With eyes of grace. Other believers are going to fail us. Always. Yet, they are still being made more like Jesus every day. Like a wet rag, He is wringing out the impurities. Sometimes it's ugly-yet-beautiful. As we are being refined as gold, let's not expect perfection from each other. Let's cling to the gospel for them just as much as we do ourselves because the reality is that we all need Jesus every day. Let's push through the junk together without being frightened by any fear. Let's enter the hard place of communicatingknowing the Lord is with us, knowing a brother or sister is born of adversity.

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So our glimpse of glory is God as the Sanctifierthe One still making us more like Him, and making them more like Him. Oh, Lord, we can be so quick to criticize and condemn. Help us to see Your people the same way You see them. Help us, by Your strength, to be quick to give grace and cling to the gospel for others.

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Judges 19:16-30 Well, it's here. The dreaded last half of chapter 19. Instead of taking it a few verses at a time, lets just get it over with, shall we? Have you ever read it? Be prepared for shock. It may be the most horrific story in Scripture. Yet, God includes it. He doesn't hide it, hoping no one remembers. Rather, He puts it on display for all of history to see. Todays devotional will be long, but there is no good way to divide these verses without having to talk about this awfulness for way longer than I want. So take the extra few seconds to read the passage. I believe God will use it. That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?" He answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house. We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants -- me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don't need anything." "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square." So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink. While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him." The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing." But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight. When her master got up in the morning

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and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!" (Judges 19:1630) What are the first words out of your mouth after reading that? Even if you're alone, I'll bet it's unlikely you haven't gasped or heard something like that. It's just awful on top of awful. Is there no limit to the evil we are capable of? This Levite, who is supposed to love God and be leading the people just sits there! That is, unless he's passed out from drinking too much. But how big of a house could they have had back then? I'm sure he heard the transaction of the old man giving these jerks his lady, the one he just went out of his way to win over. Yet, he did nothing! I'm sure he heard her screams outside and whimpers to come in. Yet, he did nothing! But then he must have been so sickened by his passivity that he "opens the casket." Its a phrase that comes from Emmett Till, a little boy who was brutally murdered because he was black. At the funeral, his mother asked for an open casket so people could see how ugly racism was. Mr. Levite cuts up his wife and sends the body parts to shake people out of their complacency. (Seriously, I just don't even want to think about this, but apparently God thinks it's a big deal.) What does it take to rock us out of complacency? What will it take to get us to reject passivity? At the beginning of this devotional, I said this may be the most horrific story in the Bible. But there is one more so. The same thing happened, but to someone who never did anything wrong, the King of Creation. He was handed over by cowardly men to be tortured for the pleasure of others. He was beaten, torn, and eventually killed. Its the most awful scene in the Bible. Yet, its the one Story that brings the most hope. From much sorrow, hope is born. This should rock us out of complacency; it should ignite the same reject passivity attitude but on a much grander scale. It should ignite a passion for us to live for the One who gave His life for us.

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Judges 20:1-2 When was the last time you saw a group of people put differences aside and come together to work on something? What you experienced, the feelings and focus, was probably a lot like what was going on with the Israelites after the dreaded last half of chapter 19 from yesterday. Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out as one man and assembled before the LORD in Mizpah. The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords. (Judges 20:1-2) When everyone is clicking along, so much seems to get accomplished. No bickering and having to talk through every tiny incident. No gossip and, therefore, no need to mend broken relationships. Everyone is focused and contributes what they have toward the goal. Being a part of a healthy team is so satisfying. This is what God calls us to, what we get to be a part of when we surrender our lives to Him. Were a family, yes, but also a team. And yes, sometimes we may look like Asher's small soccer team running around, not really knowing what they are doing. But when a goal is scored, the crowd of mostly proud parents erupts. (I say mostly because my kid is the one who can't stop talking. Hes talking on the sidelines to the parents, to the coach, to anyonewhile all the other kids are running around trying to kick the ball. I wish I could show you the video. It is so funny! Picture a little four-year-old cutie running by me with a giant smile just to be on camera, and then he goes back to talking. I'm pretty sure I'm raising a politician who is going to love Jesus.) I just wish it didn't take so much to get us to team up. I wish it didn't take tragedy for believers to gather together and say, No more.

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Judges 20:3-11 (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, "Tell us how this awful thing happened." So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, "I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died. I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel's inheritance, because they committed this lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. Now, all you Israelites, speak up and give your verdict." All the people rose as one man, saying, "None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. But now this is what we'll do to Gibeah: We'll go up against it as the lot directs. We'll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for all this vileness done in Israel." So all the men of Israel got together and united as one man against the city. (Judges 20:3-11) Did you get a chance to read the dreaded last half? It shows how even this story offers us a glimpse of Jesus. And from the awfulness of this story, the Israelites were rocked out of their passivity. I'm not sure if it's just me, but there is something about seeing a group of people team up and fight for whats right. I want to throw my arms around and wiggle and scream, "Yeah!" When I hear about Agape International Missions, and the work theyre doing to fight the injustice of selling prepubescent girls for sex, I want to scream for them in support like someone would at a football game. I love how the Israelites took action over the injustice of this lady's death as if it were their problem. They saw a horrific evil happening in their country, and they finally got fed up and took action. There is a horrific evil happening here in our country, and precious few have gathered together to do something about it. I think its because it's hard to talk about and because it's happening in secret. Whenever I talk about this topic, there is fear in the back of my mind

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a fear of hurting, or a fear of coming off as condemning. But what if the Israelites thought that? Abortion will kill over 83,000 babies this month in our very own country, totaling over a million this year. A million! One third of the generation born after Roe vs. Wade is missing. Why have we not gathered together and assembled as one to fight against the injustice of taking the life of a precious baby? And why are the mothers who have had abortions silent? Oh, I wish they weren't. I wish their powerful testimonies would come to the surface and not remain in the dark any longer, being kept silent and useless by Satan. If you are a believer and have had an abortion , know that you are forgiven. You are still dearly loved and seen through the blood of Jesus. But also know that God wants to use your story for redemption. Please let Him. I have a friend who was in a women's Bible study, and one morning, it was on her heart to tell the group of twelve ladies that she had once had an abortion. She was so afraid of being judged, but she pushed through the fear, and it turned out that nine other ladies said they had once had abortions too. The deep secrets eating away at their dignity were brought into the light, and now this girl has a beautiful post-abortion ministry. The Levite was responsible for his wife's death. He could have rescued her, and he didn't. He let her die. But he didn't let the shame stop him from gathering others to stop the problem. He used his circumstances to bring about change, to bring justice. What does it take to motivate you? Does it take getting an arm on your doorstep to move you to take action? How are you going to be part of the battle against injustice and say, No More.

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Judges 20:13-14 Have you ever had someone go to bat for you? When I was in college, I got a parking ticket that was unjustified. My sweet friend Christina, who has a passion for justice, took my ticket and marched right into the campus police office and pleaded my case. She took on my problem and freely gave her time and energy to stand up for me. What a picture of Jesus! The One who gave His life for us. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) The word life in this verse is the Greek word psuche, which is your mind, will, and emotions. Jesus not only gave his bios (physical) life, but he laid down his own will, emotions, and desires to serve us. Wow! When believers guard one another and demonstrate Christs love by unselfishly choosing the highest good for others, Jesus says the world will know that Jesus is God (John 17:2022). That is a big deal! It truly is beautiful when believers stand together, when they act like they are on the same team and make sacrifices for each other. But when a believer is choosing to live in sin, the most loving thing to do is to let them fall and let their consequences play out, which is designed to bring humility. So much pain and death could have been spared if the Benjamites would have truly loved their fellow Israelites, if they would have let them experience the effects of their sin. The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What about this awful crime that was committed among you? Now surrender those wicked men of Gibeah so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. (Judges 20:13-14)

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Don't you wonder why they didn't surrender the wicked men? Why in the world did they go to bat for the rights of these guys to rape and kill? Why in the world do we go to the extremes of going to bat for evil or not going to bat at all? We will fail each other, but Jesus never will! He will always be perfect in going to bat for us, but He will not let us get away with things that are going to bring death. For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Lord, thank you for standing with us, even when no one else does. Thank you for disciplining us, even when everyone else is praising us. You and Your love for us are perfect, not because we are so great, but because You are. Thank you. Give us a glimpse of Your strong support of us when our hearts are so fully Yours that we might become what we are gazing at. We submit to You.

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Judges 20:18-26 Want to hear my most embarrassing moment? For ten years, I lived in the small town of Durango, which has a beautiful river running through it with a bike path right next to it. One time, I was on a walk with God, just praying, and I found this little spot along the river where a lot of trees blocked the bike path from the river. Sitting on the edge of the river, with the trees separating me from the sidewalk, I was confident no one could hear me. So I decided to sing to God. I dont normally sing in front of people. It just feels so personal. It's like you're wearing your heart on the outside. But on this day, I thought I was alone, so I had my eyes closed and raised my hands to praise Him with everything I could. After singing a couple of songs, I opened my eyes and saw three rafts full of people who had floated down the river right in front of me! They were probably not more than ten feet away. How embarrassing! They did not make a peep. Why would a whole boat full of people not say anything? Not even a throat clearing or something. If singing in front of people is not too difficult for you, then Im not sure you can feel the real weight of this. I still wonder what the people in those boats thought. What would you think? But when I got embarrassed, I quickly realized that it was about me, rather than God. I simply wanted to offer Him a sacrifice of praise, and He gave me the opportunity. But the first thing I did was get mad at Him and throw a little fit. Something that started as a pure offering ended in a fleshly tiff. But the real question arises. Why would God do that? Why would He take something so private and expose it? Why would He do something that caused me embarrassment? I'll bet the Israelites felt the same way. They had 400,000 guys and went to stand up for injustice and fight the Benjamites with 26,000 men. Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, "Who shall go first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin ?" Then the LORD said,

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"Judah shall go up first." So the sons of Israel arose in the morning and camped against Gibeah. The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel arrayed for battle against them at Gibeah. Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and felled to the ground on that day 22,000 men of Israel. But the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and arrayed for battle again in the place where they had arrayed themselves the first day. The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him." Then the sons of Israel came against the sons of Benjamin the second day. Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and felled to the ground again 18,000 men of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword. Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel and wept; thus they remained there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. (Judges 20:18-26) They asked God about going to battle, and they ended up losing. They lost, big time, to an army fifteen times smaller than theirs. How embarrassing! Yet, they encouraged each other and got up to do it again! Im afraid I did not have this same attitude when I was embarrassed. I was mad at God. So I'm proud of these guys. They ask God if they should fight again, and God answers in the affirmative. But then they lose again! Yet, their response is to turn to God again and fast. Wow! Sometimes those silly Israelites offer us great examples of faith, and this is one of them. Thank you, Jesus, for this! Thank You, Lord, for people who have gone before us who have had things happen in life that are not how they expected, but they turned to You anyway. Thank You for telling us this story in Scripture so we can see the big picture of how You ultimately did come through for them. You are just plain awesome, God, and we like You a whole lot.

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Judges 20:27-30 What does it take to stop you? Are you like a train where once you're moving its hard to stop? And what does it take to get you going? If God asked you to do something, what would it take for you to say, "Yes"? Can you imagine doing something you knew God wanted you to do, but it failed twice with a huge consequence? What would it take to get you to do it again? The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, stood before it to minister in those days ), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand." So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times. (Judges 20:27-30) We don't know why the Lord let them fail twice. It could be to humble them. It could be to let the arrogance and pride of the Benjamin tribe grow, to remind them it is the Lord who brings victory. Whatever the reason, it is evidence that in this world we will have trouble. God never promised a pain-free life. But He did promise that He would be with us and that He would come through for us because He has already overcome the world. When we come face to face with something that seems impossible, we need to keep walking by faith. We need to commit our ways to the Lord and let Him direct our steps. We need to press in even more to the Lord and let Him give us strength to persevere. Aren't perseverance stories amazingly beautiful? My sweet friend Kate Hurley had a very rough childhood; she experienced abuse and a seven-year season of insomnia as a result of Lyme disease. She is a music missionary and her music, written out of her experiences , inspires many.

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Judges 20:31-48 Are you tired of the book of Judges yet? I am and am not at the same time. I love the new insights the Lord has been generously giving, but Judges can also be seen as a pretty depressing book. Remember how the Lord waited forty days until He sent David to the battle lines to face Goliath? And during those forty days, the Israelites got a good hard look at the cowardly hearts they had. Well, Judges feels like forty days of a good hard look at our desperate need for Jesus. But did you know the book of Ruth is happening at this same time? Its the redeeming love story of a rich man willing to pay the price for his beloved. I'm sure there were many other beautiful Ruth stories taking place during the time of the Judges, so why do you think the Lord left them out of Judges? Without a good look at the reality of our sinfulness apart from Jesus, the cross is not really seen for the greatness that it is. In fact, it's foolishness. It's not until we see our depravity that the grace of God is seen as overwhelmingly beautiful. We come to the end of Judges 20 with one chapter to go. And its a battle scene. The Benjamites have gotten pretty cocky and think they are winning the third battle, so the Israelites lure them to an ambush. The Benjaminites don't even realize how much trouble theyre in until it's too late. When they realize theyre defeated, they take off for the wilderness and 25,000 Benjamites are lost that day, leaving behind only 600 survivors. On the way home, with Israel pursuing them, they killed every living thing and burned down every town they came to. How do you feel about this? I am tempted to feel sorry for these guys until I remember how they raped and killed the Levites wife and that the reason these guys were fighting was to defend the rights of these sickos to do so. Then I see how deeply God cares about this injustice too. What injustice gets you fired up? The 143-210 million orphans? The 22 million slaves (including sex slaves)? I long for the day when God stands up and says, No more! He is going to come with a sword in defense of the little girls being raped thirty times a day and the orphans with no one to kiss their broken hearts and broken knees when they fall. Jesus will come to make all things right. Yet, when all seems lost, we'll remember the cost we're resting in, the shadow of the cross.

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Judges 21:1-9 What do you regret? The things I regret the most are the things the Lord specifically told me not to do, but I did anyway, like date a guy in college for two-and-a-half years, when I knew He didn't want me to. And I regret the time I didnt share the gospel with someone when I sensed Him prompted me to. The guy committed suicide a few months later. Regrets can come when we go against God's desires for us, when we don't fully think through the implications of something and find out after the fact, or when we are not looking at situations through God's perspective. That's what happened with the Israelites. The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah never to give their daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin. And the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. "O LORD, God of Israel," they cried out, "why has this happened? Now one of our tribes is missing!" Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it. Then they said, "Was any tribe of Israel not represented when we held our council in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah?" At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the LORD's presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come must die. The Israelites felt deep sadness for Benjamin and said, "Today we have lost one of the tribes from our family; it is nearly wiped out. How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?" So they asked, "Was anyone absent when we presented ourselves to the LORD at Mizpah?" And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-Gilead had attended. For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-Gilead was present. (Judges 21:1-9) God told them to attack the Benjamites, but He didn't tell them not to give their daughters to them in marriage. When we add things to God's Word, it benefits no one. Ultimately, it caused them to regret obeying the Lord, so they tried to shimmy their way out of their predicament.

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The only way to be able to finish this life strong and not look back with regrets is by turning to the Lord and letting Him live His life through us. Our flesh is powerless, but the Holy Spirit living inside believers is able to do all things (Philippians 4:13). And it's only by surrendering and yielding our will that He can have His rightful place of authority in our hearts and lives. What is the result of yielding to the fruit-bearer? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Who regrets being too joyful? Too self-controlled? Too faithful? What a gift to get to be empowered by the Holy Spirit!

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Judges 21:10-14 Have you ever done something without talking to God about it first? What was the result? What happened after that? Did you turn to the Lord and ask Him what to do or did you try to fix it without turning to Him, thereby doing it again? When the Israelites made their rash vow of not giving their daughters to the Benjamites, without talking to the Lord about it, the men of Jabesh-Gilead had not been there. They were the only group of people who hadn't made the rash vow. The Israelites realized they had messed things up by acting without talking to the Lord about what they were doing, so to tried to fix their mistake (again without talking to the Lord). They decided to kill everyone from Jabesh-Gilead (their fellow people, I might add) and take their virgin daughters. Crazy! So they sent twelve thousand warriors to Jabesh-Gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin." Among the residents of Jabesh-Gilead they found four hundred young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the little remnant of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon. Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the four hundred women of Jabesh-Gilead who were spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them. The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had left this gap in the tribes of Israel. (Judges 21:10-14) Why in the world would they do the exact same thing in response to the thing they are stressed about!? They acted without talking to God and so to get themselves out of their predicament they think they should act without talking to God. Oh my. But isn't that just so like us! We are fixers. When we mess something up, it seems like human nature is to want to fix it. Maybe out of pride, to show we can, or self-sufficiency, or insecurity in failing, but no matter the reason it's safe to say humility is not our default.

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Humility, admitting reality of who we are (not perfect) is not something that just falls out of us. It comes from the Lord, the Changer of Hearts. Our ways will always fall short when we trust in our "horses" (our own strength and resources Psalm 20:7). But those who trust in the name of the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). Trusting in the Lord, turning to Him, and relying on Him for wisdom returns hopehope that the thing we messed up will be redeemed. It is possible not to learn from our mistakes and just keep doing the same thing over and over. Oh, Lord, please give us teachable spirits, make us humble and willing to submit to Your authority in our lives. Help us to be quick to turn to You and not rely on our own reasoning apart from You. Give us clean hands. Give us pure hearts. Let us not lift our hands to another. Oh, God, let us be a generation that seeks, seeks Your face Oh, God of Jacob.

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Judges 21:15-23 Luke 7:36-50 tells us a beautiful story of a prostitute who saw Jesus and was moved to action. She made a choice to give Him something incredibly precious and valuable to her her perfume, her livelihood. The most important thing to a prostitute was her perfume, which this lady held in an alabaster jar. Her devotion was sacrificial, intentional, and it was courageous. Yet, from the moment Jesus entered Simons house, he did not give him a basin to wash His feet and did not greet Him with a kiss. This would be like bringing a special guest into your home and not opening the door for them, not taking their coat, and not saying hello. What Simon did was very offensive. I wonder if he was slightly jealous of Jesus and that is why he went out of his way to try to show that Jesus was nothing special. Perhaps that was why the prostitute was crying. Perhaps she was wondering, Dont they know who He is? Why are they treating Him this way? I love how Jesus doesnt sweep things under the carpet, but He addresses attitudes and actions. He brings this offense to Simons attention and brings the truth to the lies Simon believed. A humble man at this point would apologize for his lack of respect and thank the woman for compensating for his rudeness. But Simon is not able to recognize his faults; he is only able to point his finger at the woman. While talking to Simon, Jesus turns to the woman. How beautiful! He looks right into her eyes and starts bragging on her in front of the entire room of people. Who in these mens world would be the most undeserving of honor? A prostitute. But Jesus seizes the opportunity to brag on her because of her faith. This scene shocks the men in that room because not only does Jesus praise and honor a despised woman, but He also goes on to make her the noble hero. And the way He honors her publicly brings the added benefit of restoring her to community. We need to come alongside the people God has placed in our lives and help them overcome sin.

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Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1) We are called to correct our brothers and sisters in Christ, but the word restore is the word to mend a net or set a broken bone. And this is done very carefully and gently. Not with a pointing finger, but a loving arm. We can bring truth-filled grace by going through the mess with them. But after they turn back to Jesus in submission, they need to be restored to community. And the community needs to receive them without holding back love or respect. They deserve to be treated with respect just like Jesus treated the prostitute. The Israelites were a pretty strange picture of this. They were fighting against the Benjamites, and now they were doing everything they could think of to help them. Their motives aside, it is something to consider. Are you this quick to turn and fight for someone you were just fighting against? And the elders of the assembly said, "With the women of Benjamin destroyed, how shall we provide wives for the men who are left? The Benjamite survivors must have heirs," they said, "so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. We can't give them our daughters as wives, since we Israelites have taken this oath: 'Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to a Benjamite.' But look, there is the annual festival of the LORD in Shiloh, to the north of Bethel, and east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of Lebonah." So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, "Go and hide in the vineyards and watch. When the girls of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, then rush from the vineyards and each of you seize a wife from the girls of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers complain to us, we will say to them, 'Do us a kindness by helping them, because we did not get wives for them during the war, and you are innocent, since you did not give your daughters to them.' "So that is what the Benjamites did. While the girls were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them." (Judges 21:16-23) Oh, Lord, help us be truth speakers in the gentle arms of grace and also community restorers. Help us be people who honor and brag about other believers behind their back so the world would know You are God. Give us eyes to see people like You do so we will know what to brag about and how to honor them. Make us more like You!

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Judges 21:24-25 So the assembly of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes. In those days Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:24-25) Before they packed up to head home, they set up camp to celebrate the festival of tabernacles, which is the final feast of the Jewish year. It was like a vacation with the family for eight days. They would build huts as a reminder of the temporary housing that God provided for the Israelites when He led them out of Egypt, and they would hang fall crops in the booth as a reminder of Gods faithfulness. On the first and eighth days, they got together to praise the Lord and present offerings to Him. Imagine you and your family camping with a ton of people. What would it look like? Smell like? Feel like? The seven God-appointed Jewish holidays point to Jesus. For instance, Jesus is the Passover Lamb. Well, the Tabernacles point to how Jesus left the pleasure of heaven to live temporarily in the dirt. It reminds us that this world is not our home. Whether our homes feel good or not, they are just huts. And this points to the fact that one day Jesus will come again and make all things new. We will no longer be in huts; we will be in homes built by the Master Carpenter just for us. We can enjoy Him and see Him as faithful now, but there is so much more to come. After the fun festival, everyone would go home. Sometimes the Lord gives us fun experiences, but then we have to go back to life as it was before. And if our faith is based on emotional mountain-top experiences, we will get derailed. It will be said that we did what was right in our own eyes, just like the Israelites, and the consequences are painfully ugly. Our faith needs to be based on what the Bible says is true about God, not based on what we feel or experience. The reality is that the Lord will have us walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but we will never walk it alone. Jesus, the One who holds all things together, walks with us. As we walk through the ups and downs of our faith in Him, we store up bonded moments in heaven. Like Paul said in Philippians 3:10, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. And because of Jesus, its all worth it!

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About the Author

Laura Krokos is the Staff Women's Development Coordinator for Master Plan Ministries and creator and host of MissionalWomen.com. She is married with four kids, two of whom are adopted. She and her husband have been missionaries to college students for eleven years. She has personally discipled over 150 girls and led over thirty Bible studies. She speaks 10-20 times a year. Laura is an award-winning author of a twelve-week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, and has recently released Reach: How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and Creation Reveals the Glory of God.

Other Books by Laura

Are you effectively using the internet for the glory of God? Reach will help you learn practical ways to use Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms to help fulfill the Great Commission online. You will walk away feeling equipped to begin an influential social media ministry and reach the world for Christ from your home. http://www.ReacheBook.com

Are you looking for a women's Bible study? After writing many small group Bible study lessons for over thirty small groups Laura has led, she took the plunge to write a twelve-week in-depth small group Bible study on the book of First Samuel. Read More Here. Bible Study Reviews If you like Beth Moore, you'll love Krokos Great Study Likened to Beth Moore

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